And you were here
by TRUMPace
Summary: what will you do when you're trapped in a dungeon with a boy, shugo charas, and a ghost?
1. Chapter 1

I made this fanfiction in another site before and right now is already up to chapter 10 :D

I'll just be reposting the entire chapters again here.

This is my first time I made a fanfic so please spare me ^^

And yes, it's an amuto.

A/N: I do not own Shugo Chara. This is just an FF I made fer fun.

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Have you ever experienced falling into a dungeon and trapped there with the most annoying person you ever met? Well not exactly a dungeon. A tunnel, yeah a tunnel is a better way for saying it.

Or have you ever met an unknown girl with faded feet before and she, unexpectedly, kept on bugging you in a way?

Well, here's my experience. It all started when...

**CHAPTER 1 - The Homework Date**

"...and so Hinamori-san, will you accompany me to finish up our History homework?"

Tadase's voice echoed through my ear. History homework? Together? This is a dream come true!!

" O-of course Tadase-kun! Where do you want us to meet?" I replied excitedly. No way no way no way!! My first time to go out with Tadase alone after this whole entire seventh grade year!! I had been dreaming about this kind of thing to happen once in a while to spicin' up my junior school year. And the moment did come finally!! First, we will go to the cafe and we will be sitting up, facing each other while having a parfait with two spoons. Or we could go to the park nearby and both of us will play the swing together. Or even...

" Hinamori-san? Did you hear me?" Tadase-kun's voice from the other side of the phone woke me up from my own imagination. I pinch my own cheek hardly, punishing myself for making Tadase waiting.

" O-oh it-it's okay Tadase-kun. I-I mean what did you said just now?" I replied nervously. Focus, Amu. Focus!!

I heard some vibrating sound of giggling of Tadase's on the corner of the phone. Shame on you Amu! You  
made yourself a joke infront of your charming prince! This is so embarrassing...

" Hmphh you're always funny Hinamori-san" Tadase's soft voice made me all blushing. I feel like digging a hole and put myself in it and never go out from that hole. EVER again. " I was saying that maybe we could meet up in the park near the new constructed mansion."

Wait, did he say park? Awesome!! I could use the playing the swing together scenario for this!!

" So... is it okay for you? I mean… Maybe it's too childish for us to go there so..."

"NO! nonononono! It's okay. Definitely okay!" I answered before Tadase changed his mind. This rare opportunity shall not be dismissed! I, Hinamori Amu, will bet my life for this kind of rare situation to happen again! "So what time do we meet then Tadase-kun?" I looked up at the pink clock in my house. Now is already 4.32 pm. If i can organize the time well i will be able to take a bath and change my clothes and...

" How about now? I'm at the park already," Tadase's sweet voice ruined my entire plan to enchant him with my new outfit.

" N-n-now?" I asked unwillingly. This is not good. This is not good. I can't look like this later on infront of Tadase. I took a glance at my appearance on the mirror beside me. There stand a girl with her super messy untie pink hair, with the loose red bear pictured T-shirt she's wearing and an over-sized short pants almost drop down to the wooden floor. She also stinks since she hasn't take a bath since morning. And she... she... She's just awful!! I mean, I'm awful!! I couldn't meet Tadase with this kind of look!

" Hinamori?"

" T-Tadase-kun will you wait for me for another fifteen... NO! I mean ten. Ten more minutes before i go to your place?" I over him a time extention while picking clothes to wear later on.

" Uh, sure. Why not?" I could see Tadase's smiling behind his phone. Tadase, your kindness is the best of all the best. I could melt by just imagining his mesmerizing smile on the edge of the speaker.

" Thank you so much Tadase-kun! I'm sorry to make you have to wait," I thanked him while testing the cold and hot water to be just right in the middle for my shower.

" Ehehe. No worries. If it's for Hinamori I'll wait even though it will be another more hours."

I was flattered when I heard him saying that. _If it's for Hinamori_ he said. No! There's no more time for blushing and smiling ear to ear Amu! Get a grip of yourself! Tadase is waiting right there in the park. Alone. Waiting for you. Alone.

I can't waste another Tadase's precious minute anymore. Don't be flattered now! "Thanks Tadase-kun. I'll be calling you soon". I pressed the red button of my cellphone and put it on top of my bathtub. I opened my clothes and in a split second, I finished my shower.

" That was fast," Miki commented while drawing some clothes for me.

"That's why Suu already told you to take your bath first desuu~" Suu handed me my towel as I was drying up my wet hair.

"Three more minutes to go!! Go! Go! .chi!" Ran happily cheer on me while pointing one of her pom pom to the clock. The clock!! Oh god! Three more minutes??

"This can't be happening! I'll be late!! " I screamed while putting up my clothes, tying my hair, and running outside the house at the same time.

"Wait~ Amu-chan~ Your bag! desuu~" Suu and the others were chasing after me while bringing my bag with my homework along.

I can't let this precious moment gone caused by my mistake!! I just can't!! This will be the best day of my life

.................................isn't it?

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	2. Chapter 2

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_" I can remember some things upon that evening most distinctly, and others are like some vague, broken dreams," Arthur Conan Doyle, How It Happened  
_  
**CHAPTER 2 - The Start Of The Story**

How many steps and breath had I took to run? How many time did I made Suu and Miki pants and stopped just to follow mine's and Ran's pace? Furthermore, how many meters left to Tadase's place?

"Hinamori-san, where are you going?"

Surprised by the voice I've been waiting for, I stopped my dashes in a sudden which almost made me fall to the muddy ground of the park.

"Hinamori-san, you sure are energized to do this homework," Tadase helped me gaining my balance back by holding to my left hand and right shoulder gently.

The touch of Tadase's soft and white hand summoned the colour of rosy pink to the surface of my cheeks. " I..I.. I don't really need your help you know!" I said while pissing Tadase's hands and gaining my own balance back.

"There goes Amu's cool n' spicy character," Ran sighted behind Suu's laughter

I realized I accidentally drawn out my outter character when I saw Tadase's shocked face. Gahh!! What am I doing?? You stupid Amu!! Hinamori Amu you deserve to die!!

Unexpectedly, Tadase smiled and gave me small giggling, beaming me with those warm, sunflower-like eyes. " You haven't changed Amu. I remembered you had been having that character since we're in primary."

I didn't expect such words to came out from Tadase's own mouth. Does that mean he had been observing me this past few years? Does that mean he has that feeling towards me? Well, he did confess to me a year before but...

" Hinamori-san? Your mind sure wanders around alot today," Tadase waved his feather-like left hand infront of my face.

"Huh? What?" I gasped. Sheesh Amu. You sure wander alot today.

"HInamori-san, how about we take that sit over there?" Tadase pointed out an empty wooden garden chair with golds and glittery decorations attached to it. Kiseki much?

"Uh, okay," I lowered my head, not able to control myself for the excitement of sitting on a same chair as Tadase's. I couldn't let Tadase see my tomato-like face. It'll be so much embarassing.

"Let's go then," Tadase grabs my hand which gave made me scream a little but I made sure he didn't hear it. But I'm sure that Miki heard it. I could see her whispering it to Kiseki about my stupidity.

**----------------------**

"Where should we go now nyaa~"

"Somewhere nice," the boy gave a short reply while jumping from roof to roof. His deep blue sea hair were blown softly by the summer's breeze, while his sapphire eyes shimmers as it was reflected by the light of the intense sun. His smooth gesture of a cat would have ease him to walk on the tallest building of Japan. The silver sweat slightly pouring over him made his long eyelashes half-wet. And such boy who would be living in this world was named...

"Ikuto! I saw something interesting nyaa~" Yoru happily jumped to Ikuto's wide shoulder, "take a look at that place nyaa~" Yoru pointed to the south

"A park?" Ikuto leaps over trees to take a better view when he saw two little couple with a head of blonde and soft pink sitting side by side confusedly.

The cat-boy smirked, " This is going to be fun," as he leaps to the nearest tree to both of them.

**----------------------**

"...And so we did had some bomb tragedy in Hiroshima on that time," Tadase explained while his hair touches my nose. It tickles alot that made me almost sneeze. No, it's taboo to sneeze to a prince's hair. Hold it Amu, hold it.

Time passes so fast for both me and Tadase. I don't dare to look at my watch, not wanting to face the truth this majestic day has to end. But the faded appearance of the moon in the night sky did remind me that my time with Tadase isn't going to be any longer.

I have to admit it; I haven't been concentrating to my own assignment. I just can't let my eyes go from Tadase's beautiful eyes and his small, sweet face. I feel like treasuring those eyes, those clear yellow eyes.

"Hinamori-san could you tell me the answer to number 4? It was pretty hard," Tadase's question woke me up from my day-dreaming session.

"Huh? Oh right, number 4..."

Our hands accidentally touched. We were surprised and pulled back our hands behind our back. Oh god. I touched Tadase's hand! I touched his hand! Wait, this isn't the time to be happy. I have to apologize.

"Tadase-ku..." then I saw his face was all red as he lowered his face down. Huh? Did Tadase blush? Over me?

There was silence between us for awhile when finally Tadase straightened his sitting position and open up his mouth with his face still all painted red.

"Hi-Hinamori-san. It sure has been awhile since we sit like this together," Tadase suddenly brought up the reunion talk with his shivering voice.

Realized that I had been a blank-minded girl for all this day, I decide to answer this one fast, "Uh.. Yeah. I think the last time we talk one on one like this was when we were in the guardian?"

Tadase smiled weakly, as if he remembered those days and misses them so much, realizing we could never go back to those times anymore. His face looked so sad that it gave me the guilty feeling.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled

"Oh that's okay," Tadase quickly reply and forces himself a small smile," It's just that we all are not in the same class anymore, and the Guardians haven't been active for months so..."

"But deep down I think we're all still Guardians' members!" I cut down Tadase's sentence to stop his fake smile getting even wider anymore, "I think..." I added.

Then, Tadase's eyes were locked on mine as mine was locked on his.

"Hinamori-san, the reason why I asked you to go out with me is because ..."

"Yes?"

"Because..."

What's this atmosphere? Is he going to ask me to go out with him? Is this true? Tadase...

"Stop right there nyaaa~" Suddenly a small cat figure jumps in between me and Tadase. What the...?

"Kids should have been on their bed right now nyaa~. No more time for dating nyaa~" Yoru flew around us that really pisses me off.

"What are you doing here you thief cat??" Tadase suddenly shouted with anger looking at Ikuto leaning on the body of the old tree behind us.

"Not much," he said while jumping down lightly from the branches, "I was just watching little kids' romantic drama. It was cheesy though," he said while giggling

"You!!"

"Tadase look!" Kiseki's sudden approach broke the intense atmosphere, "It's the embryo up there!"

The three of us raised our head on the same time. The glistering shining egg with its warm and passionate aura immersing through it. It's... It's....

"Catch the embryo!" Kiseki ordered me and Tadase with the panic tone.

"Chara change with me Amu-chii!" Ran offer herself which I replied with a nod.

Just as my X-hairclip turned to heart-shaped hairclip, Ikuto flew over me as Tadase was chasing him, racing for the embryo.

"Get off this thing you thief cat! It's ours," Tadase shouted at Ikuto's face

"Well, well, Kiddy king is still as emotional as ever," Ikuto laughed with his husky voice, "But i don't see your  
name on it, so I may still able to have it."

As both of their hands were reaching to the embryo, the white egg leaps and made its retreat, panic with the sudden attack.

"Amu-chii! Let's catch up!" Ran ordered me.

"Okay! Hop, Step, JUMP!" I jumped to the thin air, following both of them.

The embryo was fast. It kept on running away from the grabs of Ikuto's and Tadase's.

"Amu! It went that way!" Miki called me as she pointed where the embryo was about to go, "It went to the tunnel below the constructed mansion dessuu~"

"Got it!" I sprinted myself to catch that egg. Despite of its gorgeous look, the embryo sure is a hard-to-get egg!

The embryo quickly went into the tunnel as I also followed it. To my luck, the white egg was stucked inside the corner of the tunnel. Sweat drops were overflowing that egg as I straighten my hand to reach out the egg.

_"Gotcha!" _

In a split second, the earth went bumpy and the ground went chaos. The rocks made its way to the tunnel where me and the embryo's standing now.

"An earthquake!" Tadase screamed. "Hinamori-san!!"

"Ta-Tadase-kun!!" I screamed as the tunnel was almost closed by the big boulders which were rolling and dropping from places.

"Amu-chii!"

"Amu-chan!"

"Amu desuuu~!!"

The tunnel went darker and darker. Oxygen became harder to reach my nose to inhale.

"The embryo!!"

I looked at my hand. It's gone! The embryo was gone!!

My head started to spin, my sights became blurry, my legs were trembling as I fall to the ground.

"AMU!!" I heard a husky voice calling for me in terror.

"Ikuto nya!! Don't!!"

And the last thing I heard is the sounds of the big rocks clustering themselves together as I blackout...

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	3. Chapter 3

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**CHAPTER 3 - The Embryo, The Cat, The Stairs**

_drip, drip_

I could feel a cold droplets falling unto my eyes.

"Amu-chii, wake up!"

"Amu-chan, don't die here!"

"Amu-chan desuu~ please wake up! desuu~"

I slowly opened my eyes to see my Shugo Charas were waiting for me to woke up.

"Amu-chan you're alive!" Miki hugged me tightly, showing her happiness

"Amu-chii!!" Ran then followed Miki hugging my left arm

"Amu-chan desuuu~" Suu, with her teary eyes, hugged my neck and choked me

"C-cut it out you guys! You too Suu! You want me to die?" I went hysterical and made them all run away with laughter. Is it so fun to tease me?

"Amu-chan, I'm glad you're alive desuu~" Suu sat next to me as she wiped her tears, "I thought we will never see you again."

"Amu is a strong girl!" Ran backed me up as she flew next to my left, "You can see from her cool n' spicy character."

"You guys---!" I frowned but then I started to giggle too. "More importantly, where are we?" I realized this place was quite dark and sticky. More importantly, muddy.

"Didn't you remember?" Miki suddenly appear from my ear, "We were chasing after the embryo and then..."

The embryo!! Where did it go?!

I stood up but found my knees hurt.

"Amu-chan, don't force yourself now, desuu~" Suu pushed down my shoulder to make me in the sitting position again, "Right now you're injured, dessu~ Take a rest first while Suu fix this, desuu~" Suu tried to bandage my injuries from her cloth inside her pocket.

"Thanks, Suu," I smiled as my honey coloured eyes followed her fast movements, bandaging my knees neatly.

**"Cough!Cough!"**

Surprised by the sudden deep voice of coughing, I quickly stood up, letting Suu fall from my lap. "Sorry Suu," I apologized jokingly as Suu was rubbing her head slowly.

**"Cough!Cough!"**

The coughing was there again.

"Who's there!?" I called, making an echo throughout the tunnel.

No reply.

"Who's there!?" again I called, hoping for a reply.

There was a dreadful silence before the coughing voice came again. **"Cough!Cough!"**

"Let's just go and see it ourselves Amu-chii," Ran offered her idea. I nod as I made my move towards the voice.

**"Cough!Cough!"**.

"Turn left Amu-chan," Miki ordered me.

**"Cough!Cough!"**.

"No! Turn right Amu-chii!" Ran pulled my hand to the right

**"Cough!Cough!"**.

"No! I said turn left!" Miki then pulled my other hand to the left

"Right!" Ran pulled me stronger

"Left!" Miki pulled my hand even stronger.

"Right!"

"Left!"

"RIGHT!"

"LEFT!"

**"Cough!Cough!"**.

"Amu-chan I'm scared desuu~" Suu pulled my hair and made me fell down backward.

"Amu-chan!" The three of them screamed and made the tunnel full of terrible high-pitched echoes.

"Enough!!" I shouted in anger and annoyed tone. "I'm not a rope for tug-o-war you know! And you two!!" I pointed to Ran and Miki that made them jump, scared with my roaring voice, "Stop fooling around and just do a paper-scissor-stone!! And you Suu!! Don't pull my hair ever AGAIN."

I took a deep breath before clearing my mind. Miki, Ran, and Suu were hiding behind a rock, trembling, which made me feel a little guilty.

"Just do it" I ordered them while turning my body around with the waiting pose.

"O-okay. Ran, get ready," Miki made a fist out of her right hand.

"Y-yes," Ran then followed Miki's movement.

"Ready---" Suu lifted her hand, "Go!"

"Scissor!"

"Scissor!"

"It's a draw! Ready---Go!"

"Stone!"

"Stone!"

"It's a draw again! Ready---Go!"

"Paper!"

"Paper!"

"Again it's a draw! Ready---G--"

"Okay! Okay! We'll be going to the left!" I cut their this-will-never-ends-match as I marched to the left. _"It's so dark,"_ I mumbled while holding my hands tight.

"Oh! Amu-chii is scared!" Ran laughed while giving me the I-got-you-now-! face as the other two copied her laughter.

"N-no! Who says I'm scared!" I fasten my walk, "I-I'm not scared! See I walk faster than you do!"

"Amu-chan be careful!" Miki warned me when suddenly I felt something terribly cold grabbing my leg

I sharpened my sight to see a figure of a back of the palm and five fingers holding my leg tight. And to think the colour was quite pale. Could it be? No.. I'm not certain. But if it is what I think then...

" NOOOOOOOOOO-----!" I screamed in panic as the Charas came to me in a hurry.

"Amu-chii stay calm!" Ran tried to made me confronted me but her effort turned to failure

" P-Please ghost-sama! I-I-I'm just a little girl. Poor mere little girl who haven't date anybody yet! Although there's someone that I really like right now. B-b-b-b-b-but I haven't confessed to him!! A-a-a-and I have dream to own two kids a-and a small house for four w-with windows on the sides and f-f-fancy decorations for my future!! Please-----!! D-Don't kill me!!" I spat every single words that came across my mind in a speed of light that I don't even understand anymore what am I saying.

"_*Cough* _So who's this someone you like?" a deep yet weak voice asked.

"I-I-It's Hotori Tadase-kun! I-I-I-I had a crush on him since elementary school! Please don't kill me!" I kept on begging for mercy and half praying to the God to save me.

"_*Cough* _So you still likes the Kiddy King?"

Eh? This guy responded to what I say? Ghosts don't do that. And 'Kiddy King' is a nickname for Tadase from...

"I-Ikuto?!" I pulled my leg as I was surprised to see his badly injured body lying weakly on the ground. "H-How did you--? Wh-When did you--?"

"It's all your fault nyaa--!!" Yoru flew right infront of my face, "If you didn't fall to this stupid tunnel nyaa-- Ikuto won't have to follow you and injured himself badly like this nyaa--!!"

"Eh?" It was quite hard to digest what Yoru said since he used all the bumpy and cat-like tone in a fast speed like that.

"You...You followed...me?" I asked to Ikuto after my brain has successfully understands what Yoru's trying to say.

Ikuto pulled himself to the wall of the tunnel with his remaining might, answered nothing.

"It's your entire fault Hinamori Amu! Why did you follow that stupid embryo nyaa--!" Yoru wiped his eyes, not letting a drop of tears to come out.

"Hey! It's your fault for following us you know!" Ran talked back at Yoru with her harsh tone, "Nobody asked you to come along!"

"Well, maybe he's concerning us," Miki flew infront of Yoru so she could talk one by one with Ran.

"Whose side are you on Miki? I thought we're Amu's charas!" Ran started to get pissed as she realized that Miki's not supporting her anymore.

"Enough already you guys," I stopped their argument as I observed Ikuto's injuries. It's way heavier than mine. His arms were bleeding badly that his sleeves turned from jet black to bloody red. His right leg had this long and big scar but the blood had stopped flowing out from his body, leaving a wide stain over his torn pants. His neck was wounded, but not as bad as his leg and his arms, but not any better than those two too as it was scratched by a sharp thing. I could see his chest wasn't any better either. There were all the dark blue marks painting his body. Looking at Ikuto just made me feel... sad.

"What're you looking at perverted girl?" Ikuto looked at me with his weak eyes. His eyes were dull, suiting his sad-looking appearance right now.

"N-N-Nothing! And don't call me a perv! I'm no you!" I crossed my hands as I could feel all of my blood stream went up to my head and made my cheek feels hot. Why should I even have the interest in looking at him? Ugh, this is just plain wrong.

Ikuto giggled weakly and coughed hardly at the same time.

"COUGH! COUGH!"

"Ikuto!" I dashed to him as he closed his mouth with his palm and saw the red liquid.

Blood.

"Ikuto! This is bad nyaa--!!" Yoru flew over Ikuto's hand and licked the blood.

My heart feels hurt to see this boy wounded this badly. "Suu do you have any more cloth?" I asked Suu as I turned my body around.

"I'm sorry desuu-- That was my last cloth," Suu pointed at my wrapped knees.

"COUGH! COUGH!" Ikuto's coughs are getting worse. What should I do??

"Amu-chii your skirt hitted me just now," Ran complained as she was wriggling herself behind my skirt

The skirt!

I sat down next to Ikuto and started to rip off my grey skirt in a hurry. It was quite hard to tear the thick skirt apart.

"Amu… What are you doing..?" Ikuto asked with his getting weaker tone as he leaned his head onto the wall, making his blackish-blue hair all messy.

I didn't answer back as I was too busy dividing the grey cloth to three. "Hold still," I commanded him.

"Ouch!" Ikuto groaned a bit, trying to hold the pain of me tying the cloths to his injuries.

"There," I said while wiping my sweat, "All set."

"You're not talented in bandaging people Amu," Ikuto complained while pulling out his head to observe the bandages.

"At least thank me you nekomimi," I complained back, unsatisfied with Ikuto's comment. Well, it was my first time. What do you expect?

For a few minutes, Ikuto didn't move his head and as his sapphire eyes were roving around the bandages I made for him. Then, he suddenly raised his head and made our eyes staring at each other.

I never realize how those beautiful oceanic eyes were as brilliant as any gems. The shine inside his eyes were sparkling like diamonds and had besotted me for awhile.

"You know," he suddenly raised his voice.

"W-What?" I asked half shocked and half icy. Why do he kept on surprising me?

He smiled a bit. The sweetest smile that a guy could ever give. Without my notice I blushed in confusion. Why is he smiling for?

"I like girls wearing pink panties better," his husky voice bursts with laughter as the words what-are-you-talking-about were written on my face.

"Huh?" I gasped and looked down on my below part of my body. The skirt was no longer than 20 cm above my leg.

"Oh, it's white with red polka dots! nyaa~" Yoru peeped on my skirt

"Such a classic art of fashion," Miki replied as she also peeped on my skirt.

I could feel smokes came out from my ears and quickly pushed my skirt downwards in order to make it a little bit longer.

"You perverted cat!! Can't you just say thank you instead of looking at my panties??" Ikuto didn't stop his laughter. Instead, he even hit his hands on the ground of several times and holding his stomach due to too much laughing. Oh thanks alot Ikuto.

"Ouch!" Ikuto cried as he was holding his right arm.

"Ikuto are you okay?" I hurriedly ran towards him. Did the bandage didn't work?

"Ikuto?"

Suddenly, his right arm pulled my head nearer to his as his head was striking to mine at the same time. And on that very moment, I felt something soft and comfy stuck on my lips lightly. There was this nice feeling overflowing me when I felt that. That was my first time after all this 14 years...

Wait.

It was my first time.

And there's something on my lips.

And it felt nice.

Could it be...

I pulled my head from Ikuto's and jumped backwards as I closed my mouth with both of my hands, blushing heavily.

"#^#%$#&^%%$%^#^%&*^???? I-I-I-I-Ikuto what did----????"

"You had never kissed before?" he smirked

"A kiss desuu~?" Suu jumped in excitement

"Amu u kissed??" Ran shouted in surprise

"A-A-A kiss??" Miki mumbled while covering her blushed face with her drawing book while secretly peeping at Yoru.

"Ikuto you kissed that brat?!" Yoru screamed as if he actually wanted to say 'you-kissed-that-ugly-horrible-looking-monster-girl?'.

"Ikuto are you crazy?? That was my first!!" I putted my hands on my tomato-like cheek. I could feel it's burning. "And I was saving it for my husband!!"

"Who wants to be your husband anyway?" Ikuto laughed and this time he really made me pissed off.

"And who wants to be your wife anyway!? I'm not like you who had been kissing on girls before! This time you're out of the limit!" I shouted at him in anger as I turned my back and walked a meter a way from him.

"Amu-chii! wait!" the Charas were chasing after me.

"Ikuto I think you should say sorry nyaa--" Yoru whispered to Ikuto's ear.

"Why should I?" Ikuto rejected Yoru's advice. "It was also my first," he mumbled softly.

**-------------------------------------------------------------**

" I can't believe he did that!" I pouted. This time Ikuto is really off the limit. I can't believe he's that mean!

"Amu-chii, don't get angry. I bet he was just joking."

"Yes, Amu-chan. You should forgive him."

"Anyway he's the only one with us in this place right now desuu~"

"It's not that simple!" I shouted to them and made them frightened again. "I was saving it for--!"

"For?"

I lowered my head while twirling my pink hair shyly,"F-For Tadase-kun..."

"EH?? Ta-ta-ta-tada---!!" Suu blushes as she closed her mouth.

"Amu is a perverted girl~ Amu is a perverted girl~" Miki started to sing as she is teasing me.

"I'm not!" I declined. Isn't it normal for girls wanted to do things with their crush?

"Humm Amu's hitting her puberty after all," Ran talked as if she's the mature one here.

"Oi" The husky voice called. "I.. can I talk to you for a moment?"

"No. Go away," I shooed Ikuto away, pissed.

Ikuto sighted and sat beside me without thinking about me.

"Hey! I told you to go away! Sit anywhere except there!" I pointed out to where Ikuto sat.

"Why should I? This is where I wan to sit anyway," and then he started to lean onto me. Well, he got a point there.

"Hmph! Suit yourself!" I replied angrily.

There was an unwanted silence between us. None of us talks, we were just looking straight to the rocky wall infront of us emptily as the echo of water droplets dripping on to the ground filled the place.

"So--" I decided to start a conversation, "What's with you just now?"

"Not much," he said while keeping his eyes focused to the wall.

_Not much_? Is he kidding me?

"Well, you shouldn't do that you know," I started to lecture him despite of being angry again. I'm too tired for it, "Anyway, how do we get out from this place?"

"I thought you should have been made at me," he reminded me as his eyes rolled.

What's up with this guy?? He's pissing me off!!

"Hmph! I don't care about you anymore," I said, back to my angry mode tone.

"There," Ikuto suddenly pointed his hands to the west.

"What?" I asked half angry, half curious.

"Embryo nya--!"

I gasped as the shiny egg were roving around on the corner happily.

"That egg!" I shouted as I chara change with Ran. "Come back here you!" I dashed towards it.

"Ikuto!"

"C'mon Yoru"

"Wait you annoying egg!" I chased after it as it runs away, panic.

It swifted and flying across the place uncontrollably. This egg is super fast!

"Amu-chii watch out!" Ran screamed as my feet met a stone. I was about to trip when suddenly huge and warm arms hold my body.

"Careful you klutz," Ikuto helped me gains my balance back.

"Ikuto!" I cried,"You shouldn't move much!"

"That's okay. How about you?" He asked in concern while grabbing his leg, holding his pain.

"I'm… fine," I replied while looking at his leg. It should've been hurt alot right there...

"Amu-chan! The embryo's gone again!"

I turned my head to look for the embryo. MIki's right. It has made its escape again.

"Darn it! It was all because of me," I blame myself as my eyes are now holding tears," And because of me too you guys… have to be in this situation too..."

The Charas were just looking at each other with a concerned face, not knowing what to do with me.

"Well, I came here on my own will," Ikuto explained while wiping my tears away, "So… don't blame yourself anymore.." He said while putting his hands inside his pocket while turning his head away.

I looked at him, surprised. I never thought he could be this nice.

"And anyway, look at that" He suddenly pointed his index finger to a direction.

I turned my head to the chosen direction by him to see something that brought up all my hopes back. Something that made us has the chance to live again. Something...

"A stair!" Ran squealed. "It's a stair to go up!! Whoppeee!" She started to dance.

"A stair nya--! We're safe!" Yoru laughed happily.

Ikuto pulled out his hand and shove it towards me with a smile of relief, "Coming?"

I nod and gave my other hand to him as we stepped on the stairs, holding hands, building our hopes back to the outside world.

Just as a stare of a pair of eyes, staring at us solemnly behind as it vanished to the thin air..

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	4. Chapter 4

Okay, I know the update is super long n actually this fanfic has ended since like… December? Early January?

Idk I forgot .

And I' quite lazy to upload in … but since I got the time today, why not?

Hope you'll still enjoy readin this :P

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**CHAPTER 4 - Girl In White**

"Whoaa" Ran floats to the air as her eyes sparkles in excitement

"So cool!" Miki brought up her sketching pad to illustrate the view that captivated her heart

"It's so nice desuu~" Suu putted both of her palms on her reddish cheek

"What is this place?" I asked myself as to what I see is really unbelievable.

The whole place was full of the golden colour of morning glories and sunflowers, blooming as the illuminating dusts of their soft petals were dancing through the mid air as soft yet refreshing breeze joined the ball. The smell of honey dew mixed with the flowery scent made the whole crowd a little sleepy. The up and high rocky ceiling with a huge hole took place on the middle let the moon to shine bright and slightly dim at the same time.

"It's beautiful Amu-chan! I'll make this place for my next masterpiece's model," Miki complimented the scenery while letting busy hand sketching here and there.

"Yeah but still..." I looked up to the big hole upon our heads, "I think this place is a little..."

"Amu-chii! Look! Look!" Ran called me while waving her arm savagely as she flew to the left, "A shelter!"

I immediately ran to the place where Ran was pointing at. It wasn't really the shelter that I expected: all simple and cheap wood-made. Instead, it was like a gigantic royal doll house taken freshly from the Noble's daughter from European era.

There was the half stained white curtain on the side with those platinum laces sewed nicely on it's edge. And the wall was made of strong chalky bricks glued to each other perfectly. Milky coloured wooden tiles which looked so expensive and precious to be walked on were calmly found. Bed with girly designs of swirls and butterflies covered by the pearly white bed sheet lies peacefully on the right corner . A medium sized white wardrobe made from the finest wood of mahogany placed near the princess-like bed, accompanying her nicely.

"Look Amu-chan! It's so cute desuu~" Suu dragged me into the place where she showed me a mountain of Teddy Bears from the her size until my size on the other corner of the room. More collection of the plushies were to be found up ahead me. They were placed neatly on the white wooden shelves from the smaller size to the biggest one.

"Amu-chan! What's this?" suddenly Ran brought up a photo frame with a torn photo inside it, showing only the neck until the upper body part of a girl.

I observed it carefully. Strange, something is definitely not right here. The way it was torn was very neat and clean, as if it was carefully ripped off using a sharp thing.

"Where did you got this Ran?" I asked while holding the fragile photo frame carefully.

"There," she pointed out a quite dusty place where there lies the pink coloured dressing table.

It was the only unclean place and was designed in a simple manner. Then, a small light blinded me for awhile as I found a small circular Venetian window on its right, glued to the wall. The afternoon sunlight's dusts were still there on the side.

This looked much like Ami's room… No. Ami's room is not as feminine as this. But... Does this mean that there was someone who lived here before? I mean, in a place without a clear sunlight like this? Yet the place is so tidy and nice. In fact, it was TOO tidy and nice for an abandoned house, or that's how you call it.

"Amu-chan desuu~" Suu grabbed my messy skirt as she smiled widely, "may I clean that place?"

"Uhh, sure," I said without thinking any further.

I looked around to find that tall figure, "Where's Ikuto?"

"I think he went deeper inside from the start," Miki showed me a very small passage way where I didn't notice before.

"Thanks, Miki," I thanked her while moving inside the passage. It's slippery and cold since somehow the rocks for me to hold on were leaking cold water.

"Amu-chan be careful!" Miki warned me from outside the passage which made me surprised.

"WHOAAA!" I screamed as I slipped and fell down. **BAM!** "Ouchie--!"

I looked behind to find Miki shaking her head as she mumbled "I told you dumb head."

"What's with the bumpy sound nya--?" Yoru came out of the other side with his voice echoed throughout the way.

"Mine," I answered while rubbing my back. Man, that really hurts.

"Nyahahahahahah! Dumb head!" Yoru's laughter were so loud as it echoes to every inch near to my ear. Ugh, why do Miki and Yoru should address me the same way.

"What are you laughing about?" the deep and manly voice asked Yoru as the tall figure I've been looking for showed up. There stands half naked Ikuto with water dripping from his silky hair. That was also my first time to see a true man's body: soft muscles yet strong. And below his wide chest were the-what- people–would-call-it as six packs. His slim figure and perfect white skin shines over the moonlight from above. I was besotted.

"Do I really charm you often?" Ikuto grinned teasingly at my blushing face.

"Huh? W-What are you talking about you Hentai Nekomimi! W-Wear some clothes at least!" I talked back as I turn my head around but slightly peeping at him.

Ikuto laughed with his husky voice, as he grabbed his long-sleeved shirt, walking towards me with that cool blue eyes locked on mine.

Wh-Why's he getting nearer?? Well that's probably because the only exit is behind me… But what's with those eyes? Such a deep and refreshing colour eyes… No! Don't be mesmerized by it Hinamori Amu! Remember Tadase! Yes, Tadase! But..2 meters… 1 meter… 0.5 meter... I-Ikuto's getting closer to me! What should I do?!

I closed my eyes tightly as Ikuto shoved his wet dark blue hair towards mine. I could feel his breath in front of my eyes softly. What's he going to do to me with that chest exposed body?!

There was no reaction from Ikuto for several seconds. I decided to give a peek and found Ikuto's face was nowhere to be found.

"There's a small pool inside," a voice right beside my ear tickled me as a warm breath was blown directly into my sensitive ear. I fall back but was managed to be rescued by Ikuto using his hand holding my back, smiling teasingly.

"D-D-D-D-Don't whisper to me like that! Pervert! Hentai! Ne-Nekomimi!" I pointed my index finger to his face while blushing and panicked at the same time.

Ikuto giggled while helping me to stand up. "Get clean okay? Then we'll talk about this place later," He waved his hand without looking at me as he climbed up the slippery passage followed by Yoru.

Still statued, I putted both of my hands to my cheek. It was hot. I shaked my head while encouraging myself. _"You-You're just getting a cold Amu. That's right. A cold. I only like Tadase. My one and only Tadase,"_ I whispered to myself to make me feel better.

_drip, drip_

I heard the dripping sound on the place where Ikuto showed up. I think Ikuto didn't lie about the pool.

Carefully stepping on the wet ground, I lurked my head in to see the pool mentioned by Ikuto. The place was quite plain unlike the previous one. There's only a small pond and unlimited falling water droplets from above as the source of the clear liquid. The cold breeze from nowhere then strike me, made me shivered for a moment.

"Cool," I said to myself as I wander around the place. I end up being infront of the pool. _This is where Ikuto took bath_, I said to myself before I slapped my own cheek. Stupid Amu! _Don't think it in that way and don't blush!_ I scolded myself although I could still feel my face went red.

I pulled up my clothes and brought down my skirt as my eyes were fixed to the part of the skirt which I cutted it on purpose to treat Ikuto's injuries before.

"And to think this is my favourite skirt," I pouted. Then I remembered that incident. When I was tricked by him to near him and then he...

_"Do I really charm you often?"_

The question flashbacked into my mind.

Does he?

I shook my head even harder now. Don't think unneeded things. Just don't!

Moving on in taking off all of my clothes, I dipped my toe into the water. Strange, it's warm!

Without hesitation, I jumped into the pool and splashed the water around. This is fun! And to think the water is so clean and clear.

As I about to wash my hair, I realized that it still had the strawberry scent from the shampoo I used before meeting up with Tadase. I played with my hair for awhile and smelled it. Smells nice.

I drowned all of my body into the water, clutching my knees tight inside while thinking. "Did Tadase realize this? Or was it just me being too excited?" I thought to myself which was replied by my own sight.

I let my body float now on the water surface. Has all my effort worth it? "I think it does, a little," I lied to myself. I gave a long sight while looking up to the wet and rocky ceiling.

"That's not the whole point right now, Amu," I pinched myself hard, "The thing we need to know now is how to get out of this place. This weird place," I talked to myself while closing my eyes trying to concentrate.

Okay, so first, there was the shelter which looks much alike a girl's room. Second, there were well organized living flowers with no clear explanation how could they still survive. Third, the natural phenomena, including this pond, is just plain too tidy. What does this all mean?

I think and think and think and think until my head hurts. "Maybe I'll just talk about this later on with Ikuto," I rubbed my head while giving myself a reasonable advice.

But, just as I open my eyes to finish up my bath, there was that 'thing'. The 'thing' which was a shiny, sparkling yet dull emerald-like gem, looking at me fixed. It was quite hard to see since the whole place was quite dark, but I was very sure to see that pair of emerald eyes of a girl with her straight blonde hair, staring at me sadly.

_"Help me,"_ she whispered as she ran away into the passage with her faded feet.

I was frozen.

Frozen for 7 long minutes.

Before I finally realized.

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!" I screamed aloud as I jumped out from the pool, running recklessly out to the end of the passage.

"Amu-chan what happ-"Miki's words was cutted as she saw me.

"Amu-chii wha--"Ran, with her jaw dragged till it reaches the ground was 'mesmerized' by the view of me.

"Amu-chan what happen desuu?"Suu came up to me while holding the dirty cloth after cleaning the whole place, "OH MY--!" she screamed.

"Oi, pervy. What's with the-" Ikuto's question was cutted in the middle when he saw me. I could see his eyes were widening a bit before he grabbed his torn shirt and threw it to me.

"What's this for?" I asked while holding to his shirt confused.

"That's…" Ikuto didn't continue his sentence as he turned his body and showing me his back. How rude!

"Ikuto! Tell me or-"

"NYAHAHAHAHA! NO BREAST! FLAT CHEST! NYAHAHAHHAHA!" Yoru rolled on the ground laughing while pointing at me like mad.

I looked myself then to realize that I'm still n-a-k-e-d.

N-a-k-e-d

"HOLLY--!!" I screamed while hurriedly wearing Ikuto's clothes to cover up my body.

"A-Amu-chan, I think it's okay for some girls to went up to the public naked. I heard… erhh… It's a way of expressing art in the past!" Miki tried to confront me while closing her eyes.

"Then why are you closing your eyes MIki? Desuu~"

"I think she missed out her own point," Ran shook her head while sighting jokingly.

"I-Ikuto, y-you didn't see right?" I asked hesitantly while blushing. Please say no. Please say no.

"…"

"I-Ikuto?"

"…The moon's nice tonight."

"SO YOU DID SEE!!" I screamed in terror. Now not just this guy STOLE my FIRST KISS, he also SAW my BODY! I'll never get married to Tadase now!!

"Well, it wasn't that bad anyway nyaa~" Yoru's comment gave me a hit of 1 combo,

"You doesn't look sexy or whatsoever nyaa~" Another 10 combos

"You don't even have a BREAST! Nyahahahaha~!" Now that was a strike of 164258352897234 combos…

"Sh-Shut up Yoru! Who asked for your comment anyway!" I frowned while trying to hit Yoru who's flying way around. Such an annoying cat!

"Amu-chan! I found this and already cleaned it up! Go change first desuu~!" Suu flew over to me while carrying underwear and Lolita dress of white. There was laces and bows glued everywhere on the dress. At least the colour made it not so cheesy. But the bows do. Okay, maybe it's cheesy.

"Is there any other clothes to wear?" I asked shyly while taking the clothes from Suu which was replied with her head's shook. "I'll be right back," I said shyly to them as I entered the shelter. Ikuto still gave me his back.

"Should I really use this?" I asked while looking at myself in front of the mirror of the dressing table, wearing them doubtfully. There's no other choice though.

While sighting, I let myself adjust with the dress. It was quite comfortable, I guess.

_"Help me,"_ the voice of the girl echoed again in my head. The creeps went back.

I rushed out from the place and saw Suu and the other female Charas complimenting my suit.

"So cute, desuu~"

"Like a real life doll!"

"That's what I call art!"

"Listen, you guys-"I was about to continue my words half frightened when Ikuto suddenly joined the complimenting-Amu's-dress session.

"Nice. Better than before," he smirked which made me blushed.

"You're so annoying!" I pouted at him while crossing my arms. "There won't be any next time for this kind of accident to happen agai—hey!"

Ikuto suddenly pushed me down and made me fall gently unto the ground. He was sniffing at my neck and my hair like a stray cat looking for his food. I could hear all the Charas were like "whooo" or "whaaaa".

"Ikuto what are you-!" I blushed while trying to push him back. But he's much stronger than mine which made my effort turned to waste. His soft hair tickled my neck, made me giggled for awhile but quickly stopped as I realize that this guys is actually harassing me,AGAIN. His warm breath was exhaled to my neck and my hair and made me all flattered for a moment. His soft lips touched my head for several times, gently swayed through my hair.

He then stood up, leaving me with my stunned sitting position as my heart beats fast. He observed me a little as his eyes were roving around my figure before he smirked, "I like strawberry."

"What?"

"Ah, Amu did used a strawberry scented shampoo before meeting up with Tadase," Ran explained while sniffing my hair like Ikuto did.

"Uwaah, what a nice smell desuu~" Suu joined Ran sniffing my hair.

"Nyaa~ I don't like strawberries. I like fishes," Yoru commented while floating to the mid air.

Miki doesn't know what to say between 'I like strawberry too' or 'I don't like strawberry' and decided to just keep quiet.

"Stop it you guys!" I waved my hands savagely to shoo them away from my hair. I looked up to Ikuto and blushed soon.

"Did Kiddy King realize?" Ikuto asked while looking up to the sky.

"I don't know. Maybe," I answered him while looking on the other side, quite sad.

Ikuto didn't say a word and finally sit next to me, saying nothing as he just played with his bang.

_"Help me…"_

I jumped suddenly and made the whole crew surprised. That girl! She was standing in the middle of the flower garden just now!

"What are you doing?" Ikuto pulled the edge of the dress softly, asking me to sit back.

"That girl! Didn't you see?!" I pointed out the place where the girl stood just now before she vanished.

"What girl?" Ikuto gave me the questioning look.

"That girl! The girl with blonde hair and green eyes and pale skin and wearing a white dress!" I tried to described her as good as I can but it turns out to be a failure since Ikuto still putted that what-are-you-talking-about look on his face.

"GAH! Why don't you get it?!" I grabbed my head, frustrated.

Ikuto then stood up and patted my head tenderly. "Okay, okay I get it. I get it. Let's go inside first and get a good night sleep before we continue about this place later on," he ordered me.

"B-But"

"Or you want me to kiss you again?" he dragged my jaw up to meet his eyes' level, smirking teasingly.

I punched his stomach which gave him an 'Ouch' as I went in the shelter. "Don't you dare," I warned him as I closed down the curtain.

Ikuto, holding his stomach, smiled.

"Ikuto, are you okay?" Yoru asked while touching at Ikuto's stomach.

"I'm fine," he replied as his eyes were wandering around the place.

"Ikuto, nyaa. Where are we… exactly?" Yoru curled on Ikuto's hair like a spoiled cat, questioning.

"I don't know, Yoru," he sharpened his eyes to the golden field for a better view and sighted, "I don't know."

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	5. Chapter 5

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**CHAPTER 5 – The Painful Past**

I felt the sunray's warmth crept unto my eyelids, disturbing my peaceful sleep. I pulled the white sheet to cover my face in order to avoid the annoying flashy light's further contact with my facial part. I don't feel like waking up in any circumstances.

_  
Clack, clack_

I heard footsteps coming closer to me as it gets louder and louder and finally stopped right in front of my bed. I had no idea who's there and I'm not planning to know either. All I want right now is to continue my sleep and my sweet dream of Tadase-kun proposing me.

"Wake up my dear," a soothing voice of a lady trying to wake me up as she gave me gentle shakes so I would wake up.

My mind was definitely not clear on that , I threw my hand on hers and groped my pillow tighter, "Five more minutes…" I demanded with a sleepy voice and eyes still tightly closed.

As if not listening to me, she kept on shaking my shoulder with the repetitive words used and tone. "Wake up my dear. Wake up my dear. Wake up my dear," was the only thing she could say while adding the shaking's level until I could feel an earthquake inside my stomach.

I threw my blanket aside angrily and opened my eyes wide to search who's actually in charge in waking me up. But just as I was about to shout in tremendous anger, I was first shocked by another change in scenery.

Everything was dark and dull. No living creature was found. Not even the anonymous lady who tried to wake me up just now. I don't even see myself standing on the ground like what I would do… I mean I'm SUPPOSED to do every time I wake up. I couldn't even tell whether I'm floating or standing or sitting or whatsoever. All I could tell is the sudden sadness and heavy feelings which conquered my heart as soon as I opened my eyes.

"Wh-Where am I?" I asked myself while aching at the pain on my chest.

_"Help me…"_

That voice! It belongs to that emerald-eyed girl! But this time there's something different about it. It's somehow sadder… weaker… and… more real?

I turned my head to my right and felt a huge amount of heat being sprayed to my face. My hands were waving like crazy; hoping by doing that the heat will cools down. But I heard a pitiful cries instead not far from where I am.

I tried to open my eyes while fighting with the heat to see what happened and found a tragic view: A flaming house. There stood a lot of bulky yukata-clothed women screaming for their children to jump down from the building while the men went inside to rescue the kids.

"Lilia! My child! Where is she?!" A woman cried in terror as her blonde hair shined outstandingly by the fire's light, attracting the whole crowd's attention.

"She's a white!" a woman finally cried in hatred, "A white is in our village!"

The panic voices and the tearful moments changed to hatred and uncontrollable anger of the villagers as their eyes were crawling unto the woman's figure. Green eyes, white skin, upturned nose, golden hair; none of her physical features contain an Asian's blood.

The eyes of the people burnt wilder than the fire as they stood up against her. 'She won't survive,' was the only words the villagers muttered.

"No, please. You got it all wrong!" the woman tried to defend herself while her thin legs trembled in fear, "Please help my daughter first! She's trapped there!" She begged with an eerie voice.

"Hush you white! Why should we help a white's daughter?!" a man protested while holding up a metallic pole, "All white should be banished from this land!"

"You got it all wrong!" the woman repeated herself while looking at the flaming building turning to ashes by seconds. Her eyes were fixed to the second floor of the building when she saw the moving tiny shadow of a girl by the furthest window with the same appearances as hers.

"Mommy!" the squealing voice of the girl was calling unto the woman.

"Lilia!" she replied but doesn't know what to say next; asking her to jump down or stay. None of the situation right now benefits both her or her one and only child.

"Kill that woman first before she runs away!" a tall tanned skin man commanded the whole army. It has become an unfair war between a white lady versus one hundred twenty three of Japanese citizen. The woman burst into tears when her daughter screamed at the savage ember. The fire had definitely become one of the villagers' allies.

"NO! DON'T! I BEG YOU!" the woman kept on screaming and screaming until she was drowned into the crowd's cold-blooded men as her voice weaken and finally nothing to be heard. The girl kept on screaming. My face could stand no more heat.

"No! No more! I don't want to see it anymore!" I cried helplessly as the flickering flame crouched unto my body up to my neck, consuming me joyfully. I gave my last strength to glance at the girl in white who was suddenly there, saying nothing as her tears strolled down her pale cheek.

I couldn't resist the ambush of the fire that has my body half swollen by it. My body's melting. Please, anybody, somebody. HELP ME!!

"AMU!"

I wrenched upright out of my bed, huffed and puffed; frightened to what all the things I saw. Cold sweat leaked from my forehead as my body shivered and trembled uncontrollably. I was scared. I was truly scared.

"It's all right," Ikuto's big arms hold me tightly as I was still frozen by the view, "It's just a nightmare. Everything's alright now," he whispered as I clutched to him tightly, letting all his warmth filling into me. I looked through the opened gap in front of me; it was bright. The dusts of light were lurking into the shelter secretly. Its morning already.

Ran, Miki, and Suu were looking at me in concern. I must have been screaming all night.

I let Ikuto calmed me down. I really need someone right now to hold me, and he did. His fingers were brushing my messy cherry hair which made my heart beat went slower and finally to its normal pace.

I sighted in relief when my mind's state is finally clear. I laid my head to Ikuto's shoulder since my body was still too weak to be moved. But then that's when my eyes caught the cursed item.

The item which will haunt me through day and night.

The item which was ignorantly placed on the darkest, corner of the place.

**The diary.**

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	6. Chapter 6

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**  
CHAPTER 6 - The Recognition **

The sound of Suu's cloth being wiped to every inch of the room echoed to my ears. Ran and Miki were too busy playing outside. I cuddled myself with the sheet tight, still staggered by my own dream. Was it even a dream? It was so real that i couldn't differentiate it anymore.

I touched my feet slightly and quickly pulled it back. It hurts alot, as if it was burnt before.

I sighted. Scared and confused. "Why is this happening to me?" I mumbled while trying to remember the dream again. Who's that lady? Why does she looks like that girl? And why does that girl looks like her? I shook my head. No clue at all.

"Amu-chan ha-have you seen Yoru?" Miki asked while blushing.

"No," I replied while turning my head to the window, hoping I could see the tiny cat's figure roving around in the air. "Why?" I asked.

"Well... Umhh..." Miki doesn't seem to be willing to tell me. And that's when I found the answer. I grinned at her and made her blushes.

"I-I-I'll go outside and find Ikuto!" Miki runs away with her boiled face as I giggled. Wait, did she said Ikuto?

Now it was my turn to blush. The memory when he cuddled me and when he brushed my hair and when I just let him do what he wants were replayed in my mind. I could feel all my blood veins went up to my head. I covered my head with the sheet while screaming in my own mind. That. Was. Totally. Embarrassing. How do I face Tadase now?!

"Yo Amu," the husky voice shocked me, "Feeling better?" Ikuto went in the shelter and walked towards me. I could see his sweat were rolling from his oceanic coloured hair down to his well developed body. His unique scent that made me feel comfortable tickled my nose as he sat beside me. And his deep sapphire eyes sparkled like a jewel. My eyes were locked to his figure.

"What are you looking at perv kid?" Ikuto chuckled as his fingers were playing on my hair, brushing it gently.

My face went even more red. I could feel my head was steaming. "N-No one is looking at you!" I grumbled while trying to cover my face. It was a worthless effort though since he could just pulled off my hands out of my face and stared back at me.

"No one is talking about you looking at me, right?" he grinned. The most irritating grin I've ever seen.

"G-Get out!" I ordered him but it turned out to be an opposite effect. He leaned forward his face to my ear which made me gaping for air in embarrassment. His warm breath were being exhaled slowly unto my neck and his soft hair were smoothly waved around my cheek. Moreover, his hands were slowly moving to my shoulder and pulled down the dress quietly. Thousands of question marks came out from my head. What's he going to do? Don't tell me he's...

"No! What are you doing?! I'm too young for this!! Hentai Neko!!" I struggled and made him totally surprised.

"What were you thinking perv kid?"

"Y-You were about to attack me-" Ikuto's right hand was holding something. Something greenish in colour and wriggling.

"Oh this?" he pointed to the strange thing and shoved it to me, "I was taking this from your back. BA~KA," he laughed when at the same time I screamed in terror.

"Th-Throw that thing away! THROW THAT THING AWAY!" I screamed and grimaced when I saw that caterpillar wriggling uncontrollably. Ikuto laughed, enjoying my suffering before he threw it away just as I begged him to.

"What were you thinking pervy?" he smirked as he stood up, "Something perverty enough?"

"Y-You didn't tell me that there was a caterpillar on my back," I defended myself but shamefaced at the same time.

Ikuto's husky voice was vibrating as he laughed. It was so irritating in my ear but I'll take that as my own punishment for thinking such things. Especially to an annoying guy like Ikuto.

He giggled for the last time before he finally lifted his foot out of my face.

"By the way Amu," he suddenly seemed to be talking serious but paused in the middle.

"What?" I replied icily. I was pissed off enough if he's going to make another joke about it.

"Don't... think too much about the dream, 'kay? Whatever it is..."

I was surprised to hears such concerning words to came out from him.

"Anyway... Just don't make me worried," was the last word before he stepped out of the room.

"W-Wait! I--" then that's when my stomach growled, demanding for something to eat.

Ikuto was astonished with the loud sound of my stomach and again, bursted into laugh.

"It wasn't on purpose okay?!" I tried to convince him but turned out to be a failure. I pouted.

"Ahahahah," he wiped his tear caused by too much laughter while his other hand was reaching for something outside.

"Here," he threw it to me which landed successfully on my lap. "Feast yourself up."

I looked on the round shaped rich red coloured thing he threw on me, making sure it wasn't the caterpillar from before which he may be hiding it behind his back. Luckily it was...

"An apple?" Okay. Where did he got this?

"I got it on the field," he answered my question as if he could read my mind, "I guess the morning glories and the sunflowers weren't a normal one," he stared at the golden field which was followed by me. Maybe it is not normal.

"Don't you think this place is just plain... weird?" I rolled the apple up and down, "I mean, a morning glory produced an apple? Or maybe we should call it as an apple glory instead."

Ikuto chuckled while stepping forward to the edge of the field, picking another fruit from the blooming morning glory.

"How about strawberry glory instead?" he showed me a tiny strawberry now and ate it in enjoyment. I looked at him in astonishment.

"Hey Ikuto," I called for him as I stared at the apple.

"Hmm?" he replied without opening his mouth as he's licking the remaining juices of the strawberry on his fingers.

"Why do you never laughed out loud or smiled truly when we're up there?" I pointed up to the ceiling, representing the outside world we used to live on.

Ikuto didn't replied. He continued licking his fingers although I know there's no more juice on his finger.

"When did you first smile?" I asked to him. I know this sounds stupid but that's better than having an awkward silence between us again.

He didn't replied again and I decided to shut the topic when he finally speak up, "Two years ago I suppose?" he smiled cordially which somehow made me blushed again.

Two years ago? That means...

"For the detail, when I first met you," he smiled teasingly. His answer seemed to be ridiculously stupid, but his ridiculous answer manage to made my heart beats fast. I blushed again, and he seemed to be enjoying it so much.

He giggled again and turned his back and walks away from me.

"H-How bout my previous question?" I braved myself to ask with the hope he will answer me again.

Ikuto stopped his steps and turned his head to me and smiled gently, "For that question, the answer will be because it's comfortable to be with you."

I was somehow amazed by his reply and at the same time weirdly happy. I couldn't help myself to carved a smile on my face. Maybe he's not so bad after all.

"Amu-chii! Aren't you going to eat that?" Ran showed up from nowhere and pointed out the apple I've been holding. I swift a nod to her before she could eat it all for herself. I took a bite and give it a taste. It's super sweet!

"Amu-chan don't forget to take you bath desuu~" Suu reminded me as she brought me a new piece of clothes, "I found this one on the wardrobe too desuu~ It's pretty!!"

"Okay," I grabbed the clothes while my other hand was holding onto the apple and stood up to go to the passage way.

"She's in a good mood," Miki commented, "I feel a love-love here!" she said jokingly.

"Aren't you also in a good mood?" Ran elbowed the blushing Miki while Suu giggled.

Ikuto was nowhere to be found. And I only took my eyes awhile from him. "Guess he's taking himself a tour," I talked to myself as I went into the passage way.

**-------------------------------------------------------------**

"Any clue Yoru?" Ikuto's voice echoed throughout the darkness.

"No nyaa~! I can't find any clue for the exit at all nyaa~!" Yoru replied while taking himself a rest on Ikuto's shoulder.

Ikuto looked at the remaining body of the previous caterpillar. His eyes were fixed on it. _Where did this thing came from and how?_

"What's wrong Ikuto nyaa~?"

"Nothing in particular," he pocketed the tiny corpse back, "Yoru, we'll be up all night and explore this place," Ikuto commanded.

"Why don't we bring that pink haired girl along?"

"No," Ikuto walked deeper and Yoru knows that it means that he's not going to answer any further question.

Yoru sighted and followed Ikuto, taking the journey to find the unknown exit which may end or may not end at all.

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	7. Chapter 7

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**CHAPTER 7 - The Sick Cat **

__

Chirp, chirp, chirp

The chirping sound of birds woke me from my dreamland. The warm sunlight was trying to open my eyelids and face a new day. Another day has passed without me being bothered by that mysterious girl. I was quite relieved not to see any strange nightmare like yesterday's.

I lifted my light body from the bed. I kind of regretted for waking up too early since I know I won't really be able to do something. My head was quite heavy and was still dizzy. My sight was still blurry.

I rubbed my honey coloured eyes gently, hoping that'll help me to view things focused by now. I decided to check my eyesight's sharpness by observing things nearby and name them accurately.

The first thing I saw was something cloths like with a white colour which I guessed as the curtain. I squint my eyes and found the white curtain was flattering solemnly in front of me. Yup, I got that one correct. The second thing I saw was the small sized pink table with bulky mirror attached on top of it on the other corner of the room, which I guessed as the dressing table. Again, I squintmy eyes and found the cherry-like dressing table was standing there looking fragile as always. I got that one correct again.

I gave myself another try before assuring that my eyesight is alright. I looked beside me to find a night coloured hair on my left behind the white sheet, which I guessed as... Wait. A hair?! ON MY BED?!

I jumped from my bed in great surprise. I feel like screaming 'There's a hair on my bed!' but not convinced enough to do such foolish thing. There should be a reason why there's a hair on my bed. If there isn't, then I'll scream.

I approached the hair carefully, trying not to disturb it in any case. I lay my fingers on the silky-like hair slowly and quickly pulled it back when it gave a sign of moving. I gave myself another try and tried to lay my fingers on the blue hair in hope this time I can do it properly. But just as my fingers were an inch from it, a sudden surprise attack of a strong hand grabbed me and pulled me down as the sheet was thrown away to the other side.

"What're you doing?" Ikuto showed up from the sheet which was covering him all this time. His voice when asking me was weak and utterly husky. Well, at least way huskier than usual.

"I-I thought you were an alien or so-some creature,"I gasped in panic while trying to release my hand from his powerful palm which grabbed me and doesn't show any sign of letting it go any soon, "let me go!" I demanded.

Ikuto wasn't focused I guess. He was dazing and doesn't seemed to be energized at all.

"Ikuto...?"

He was suddenly alerted, "Huh? What?"

"Let me go," I repeated myself. He looks weird.

"O-oh, yeah, sure..." he loosen his grip and finally released my hand. I looked up at him in concern. His eyes weren't bright as before; in fact it was so dull and sleepy. He didn't stand firmly like he usually does. And he doesn't show any smirk on his face. He looked just like a flabby kitten which hasn't been eating anything for months! The thought for me to snap at him for sleeping on the same bed as mine vanished in a second.

"H-Hey Ikuto, are you alright?" I asked in delicacy.

Ikuto didn't reply and he was stumbling and fell on me. His heavy body made me gasped for air. We were in a position where other people would think we were doing a PG17 thing. Blushing on my own thoughts, I could only pray full-heartedly that none of the charas would see us now.

"Ikuto wake up!!" I pushed him in panic but failed as his body was just way too heavy for me. "Geez Ikuto!!" I gave myself another try in pushing him back, but turned to be another failure. _'What should I do?!'_ I screamed in my head.

Ikuto seemed to be listening but not enough power left in him. As he tried to stand up with his remaining energy, his forehead accidentally touched my cheek in a slight. That's when I realized what happened to him.

"Ikuto you're..."

He fell on top of me again, unable to stand up anymore and whispered in his huskiest and weakest voice, "I'm... sick..."

"How come?" I asked for an explanation, although I know he won't be able to answer it properly if he even intended to answer it.

"Too... tired... I guess..." he replied with the most concerning voice I've ever heard.

"Where did you go to last night?" I just realized he didn't show up the whole day after our little talk yesterday. I wasn't bothered to search for him since the ideas of stray-cat's-likes-to-play-outside were stuck on my head.

There was a four minutes of silence before I came to realize he was asleep. I grabbed the edge of the bed and managed to pull myself out from Ikuto's body. I sighted in relief and in disappointment for the unanswered question.

"I guess he's really tired," I muttered while looking at him.

I never seen him this exhausted before. It's a rare chance to look at his sleeping face for a long time. His face looked so peaceful yet at the same time looked as if he's carrying a lot of burden that I won't and never could able to understand. His long and thick eyelashes were pulled in as he closed his eyes tight. He was mumbling some words that I couldn't describe well as his hands were clutching. He rolled his body just like my neighbor's cat would do. He breathed heavily while his body shivered several time.

I felt uneasy for doing nothing after looking at his condition. I caressed his feather-like hair just like what mama would do to me when I'm sick. I putted my palm on his forehead again to estimate his current temperature and quickly pulled it back. My hand feels like burning after touching him. He's definitely sick.

"Good morning Amu-chan~" Miki yawned while getting out of her spade signed blue plaid egg, "What's with him?" she rubbed her eyes like I did awhile ago as she pointed to the sleeping Ikuto.

"He's not feeling well," I answered her question while looking at him not knowing what to do.

"Oh," she exhaled. "That's... unusual?"

"Yeah," I pulled the sheet to cover Ikuto, hoping he would stop shivering by then. "What do you think should I do now?" I asked Miki in hope she would give me the right answer.

Unfortunately, Miki only raised her shoulder, showing that she doesn't have any idea to solve the problem. I sighted.

"Wait, maybe Suu can help," she cheered me up while flying to the clover signed green plaid egg. "Wake up Suu!" she knocked on the egg.

The green eyed pixie-like girl opened her egg, yawning. "What is it desuu~? I'm sleepy..."

"Amu needs help," Miki explained while pulling Suu's arm out of her shell.

"Amu desuu~?" she seemed to respond to my name and started to float approaching me willingly. "What can I help you desuu~?" she asked with her sweetest smile. A goddess smile perhaps.

"Suu can you help me fix this?" I looked at Ikuto as she followed, getting the whole idea.

"Don't worry desuu~! We'll make him a delicious and healthy snack for Ikuto desuu~" she seemed to be very enthusiastic in helping me out.

"How?"

"Let's find the apples first desuu~" Suu flew to the garden, followed by me and Miki. She went to the central part of the golden field where all the fruits that Ikuto picked for me had gathered.

"You find the apples the most here desuu~," she smiled as she tried to pick an apple from the morning glory's vine. I picked more of the apples as Suu's request.

"Miki can you go to the pool and get some fresh water with Ran? Arigatou desuu~"

Miki nodded willingly and went back to the shelter to wake Ran up. I really have no idea what's in Suu's mind nor the kind of food she's creating.

"That's enough Amu-chan. Arigatou for the help desuu~" Suu stopped me for picking more apples from the vine. I obediently stopped and followed her going back to the shelter. Miki and Ran were there already with a pot of water. "I found it behind the shelf," Miki answered my question about the pot before I even got the chance to ask.

"What are we making?" Ran asked in the same enthusiasm as Suu while Miki was sketching the estimated result of the dish.

"You'll see dessu~" Suu replied while putting her index finger on her lips, acting all secretive. "Now could you get me those branches please desuu?"

I hurriedly gathered the lying branches Suu mentioned under the tall tree beside the shelter and brought it up to her. "Excellent desuu~!" Suu commented while taking all the branches from me and putted them on the ground.

"Now we're making a fire desuu~"

"We can use this!" Miki gave me a small stones which she found awhile ago.

I looked at the stones doubtfully. "Making the fire... with this?" I asked to Miki which she replied with a happy nod before she continued her sketching. I looked at the stones again, certainly unwilling to do this. "It's like going back to the Stone Age," I mumbled but got no other choice.

I squatted down and started to rubbed the stones to one another making all the _'clack, clack, clack'_ noises.

"Go .chii! You can do it!!" Ran cheered me while raising her pom-poms which made me a little spirited.

"Yosh! I can do this!" I supported myself while rubbing the stones in a speed of light.

_**4 hours later...**_

My hands were trembling. The movement of rubbing the stones went slower and slower while no more 'clacks' sound to be heard.

"Ga-Ganbatte Amu-chii! You can do it!" Ran trying to be optimistic but her doubts were written all over her face.

"This isn't working!!" I threw the stones away while let myself fall backward to the ground, tired.

"Umh, why didn't you guys just use this?" Suu came up while bringing a metallic red coloured lighter. My eyes were widening as I saw that square shaped lighter on Suu's hand. Frozen. Unable to trust what I see.

"S-Suu..."

"Y-Yes desuu~?"

"WHY DIDN'T YOU BROUGHT THIS THING UP BEFORE?!" I stressed out while realizing the lighter's presence all along. "Gimme that!" I snatched it from Suu's hand and lit up the branch, irritated.

"W-Well moving along with the dish," Suu and Ran took the pot to the glaring small fire to boil it. I Chara-change with Suu to do the rest of the cooking as she instructed me to.

"First, peel of the apple's skin and cut them off to pieces desuu~," Ran handed me a small knife which she claimed to found it, again, in the shelf behind the pot. I swiftly peeled them off and cutted them to small pieces just like her instruction. "Now put them inside the pot desuu~." I putted them inside the pot and waited for another instruction.

Suu pulled out a small green bag from her pocket and sprinkled them into the dish. "One of my herbal collection desuu~" she claimed proudly. I waited for the water-with-small-pieces-of-apples-and-Suu's-herbs to boil for another thirty minutes.

"And here's the apple soup desuu~" Suu scoop the soup for me to taste using a small cup which I'm guessing she got it from the shelf, again. It was sweet and tasty. As expected from Suu.

I carried the pot using my clothes' cloth (which was a sky blue one piece) and brought it extra carefully into the shelter, making sure nothing is spilled.

Ikuto was sitting on the bed already. He looked much more energized than before but the appearance of a sick person is still attached on him. His eyes were staring at me as I sat on the ground, the nearest spot next to him and putted the soup beside me. I scooped a cup of the apple soup and gave it to him.

"What...?" his eyes were still in daze while looking at the clear coloured soup and his figure still looks so brittle. As if a blow of wind could knock him down in a second.

"An apple soup I made. Here take a sip," I offered him the cup with soup in it. He was dazing at the soup and shook his head, rejecting it. "I don't feel like it," he explained with his weak voice.

"But you should eat something," I shoved him the cup and he shook his head again like a little boy who doesn't want to eat his vegetables. "Oh come on!" I begged him but was replied with another shook of him. I sighted and decided to use the trump card.

I sat next to him and plead for the last time,"Please?" I looked at him with the puppy eyes. I can't believe myself I even had to beg like this for him. This is disgraceful.

Ikuto looked at me and finally nod his head weakly. I guess the puppy eyes really works. "But on one condition," he smirked a little, "feed me."

"WHAT?!" I almost dropped the cup of soup onto the bed. Ikuto stared at me with the puppy eyes. A counter attack?! Oh no please don't. Amu don't be fooled by him and his charming eyes. "Please?" he begged.

I was defeated by my own technique. "Fine," I agreed with, annoyed of course. Ikuto chuckled in satisfaction, knowing he won over me. I raised the cup toward his lips slowly. "Open up," I ordered him and he immediately made a little gap between his thin lips and sipped the soup.

"Nice," he complimented as he licked his lips. I smiled happily as I scooped another cup for him to sip.

For twenty six minutes long I fed him and found the soup to be finished.

"That was quick," I looked at the pot, leaving some soup stains below it.

Ikuto patted my head gently while smiling, "Thank you Amu."

"E-Eh?" I blushed, happy and shocked at the same time. It's rare for him to thank me. "Y-Your welcome... I guess," I replied confusedly. I could feel the warmth in his eyes. He was truly appreciating my effort from the way he looked at me. I gave a glance to his eyes. The sapphire colour shimmered weakly yet surely at were so captivating, attractive. I could feel my face was burning, shy.

"I-I'll go get some water!" I rushed out the shelter to hid my face from him. Ikuto giggled while looking at me in a distance.

He didn't realize that the emerald-eyed girl was staring at him solemnly, right beside him...

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	8. Chapter 8

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**CHAPTER 8 - The Truth**

Ikuto leaned his head on the wall beside the bed, still smiling charmingly.

"Cute," he chuckled as his eyes were catching on Amu's shadow in a distance. He coughed a little but managed to stop it soon.

The emerald-eyed girl stared at Ikuto in concern. She leaped in front of the navy blue haired young man and waved her hand to his sapphire eyes. The way he kept on smiling and not letting his eyes go from the cherry-haired girl gave her the idea that he couldn't see her at all.

She sighted in disappointment as her green eyes wandered around the room. Her gem-like eyes caught to the dusty rust-coloured book on the corner, staring at it as she pondered...

**-------------------------------------------------------------**

"Amu-chii, I think the water is more than enough," Ran reminded me as I gasped and realized the water has leaked from the pot. I poured some of the water back to the pool immediately with my face still blushing, all nervous.

"What've you been wondering Amu-chan? You've been blank like this," Ran made a blank-faced looking expression by rolling her eyes upward and opened her mouth, creating a quite huge gap between her lips (which look more less than an idiot's) to show my previous expression.

"I don't look like that!" I declined to Ran's facial model for me as she laughed jokingly. I pouted, but laughed at the end with her. I guess I have to be more alarmed whenever I'm going blank.

"Ran, Amu-chan, we'll be waiting up there!" Suu and Miki notify us as they flew out from the passage way. "Hey both of you are running away!" Ran complained as she followed them and left me all alone. "I guess they can't stand the damp around here," I giggled while carrying the heavy loaded pot carefully.

_"Help me…"_

I could swear I almost let go of the pot and jumped, cold-sweated, feet trembling. "It's her again," I noted her presence in my mind. I gripped the pot tightly and like a spell I casted upon myself, I kept on saying, "Everything will be alright. Yes, it will be all right—"

**BUM!**

I screamed in hectic. Everything went all pitch black in a split second. In the deepest confusion, I tripped, and finally let go of the pot, making all the ground slippery with the water spread.

"Amu-chan desu!!" I could hear Suu's voice calling for me out there. I didn't give her an immediate reply, still shocked and scared with all the sudden changes with my surrounding.

"Amu-chii! Are you okay?!" Ran asked me from the other side in the greatest panic ever.

I finally managed to open my mouth, half gasping to answer her before making them more worried. "Yes. I'm fine!" I responded to make them sure I really am. Well, at least I think I am.

"I will call for help!"Miki notified me as she flew further away from me. I could guess that the 'help' which Miki means is Ikuto's.

"What happened?" I shouted from inside, hoping the outsiders would tell me what has really happened out there which gave me such unpleasant impact. I could heard Ran was saying something like 'boulders' and 'falling' and 'above' and 'blocking' and 'exit' and nothing to be heard from her nor Suu anymore. "Hello?" I called for them and was replied with a silence.

**BUM!**

I could hear the Charas were panicking and screaming for their lives as the deafening sound showed up again. "Guys are you alright!?" I asked them. I was hoping for a clear reply, but I could only hear Suu's faded respond, as if she was whispering but I was not able to clarify her answer. "Guys!?" The same kind of respond was given to me again.

Realizing that the only one who couldn't hear them clearly was only me, I sighted and clutched my palm even tighter to get rid of my nervousness. "I'll be waiting here then!" I let them know while adjusting my sight in the dark. Only murmured of the Charas could be heard by me.

I sat down but stood up again. My butt didn't like the freezing water on the ground. I chose to sit down again rather than standing up like an idiot and hold my knees tight. "Will everything be alright?" I questioned myself and found no definite answer.

_"Help me…"_

I closed my eyes, frightened. "Why are you bothering me?" I whispered for the girl to hear. Another silent reply was given to me. I sighted in disappointment and relief. At least I know that she wasn't there anymore. But I was wrong.

**Thud!**

I gasped in surprise and quickly looked up to my surrounding to find the source of the sound. I was quite sure that there was a shadow of two unequal-sized square looking things lied infront of me. I squinted my eyes for a better look. One of them is definitely made of metal since its metallic surface shimmered in the dark secretly. I couldn't identify the other one, but I swear that thick book-like thing was familiar in my eyes.

A sudden cold breeze blown slightly on my face which made me shivered for awhile. "Take it…" a weak and solemn voice whispered to me in an ordering manner. Trembling in fear, I took up the metallic square-shaped item and carefully touching it. It was sleek and quite rusty. There was a 'click' sound whenever I touched the edge of it and a small flickering light showed up for several times. "A lighter?". I pressed the edge of it and found the tiny fire from it blazed majestically.

There, in the dimmest light I've ever seen, stood the girl in white with her glowing lime-eyes. Her face was pale as ever and her facial expression never changed like usual. Her faded feet let her float and move as she wish.

I was about to scream but my voice stuck on my throat. I could feel cold sweat was pouring over me and my eyes were fixed to her in amazement and fright. I felt all my body stiffen and glued to where I sat. _She's here. Right in front of me._

She moved her hand slowly yet smoothly to the other thing beside the lighter. From her dull eyes I could tell she wanted me to pick it up. Quite unsure, I moved slowly, still trembling while pointing my lighter to the shady book-like item. It was rust in colour and terribly dusty. I squint my eyes again for a better look. I moved back for awhile, disbelieving, but moved forward again as the ghost-girl was still staring at me unpleasantly. I picked up the book and patted it from the dust. _I hope what I saw was wrong._ But unfortunately, my guess was right. **It was the diary.**

**-------------------------------------------------------------**

Minutes or perhaps hours has passed. I was still clutching my knees tight, not wanting to move. The girl in white patiently waiting for me to identify the diary which was lying infront of me now. It was funny how a normal girl like me trapped inside this unknown tunnel with a ghost accompanying her.

The dulcet murmur from out there still continues. I can't even identify if it was Ran's or Suu's or Miki's or Yoru's, or even Ikuto's. Tears began to sting my eyes which I wiped it quickly before I would really burst to tears._ Nothing will happen if I'm only waiting._

I picked the book to my lap but not opening its cover. The gem-eyed girl looked at me pokerfaced as usual, but I know deep down she was relieved I finally took the book with me. She doesn't look so happy anymore when she found out I wasn't opening the book at all. In fact, I have no intention to do anything with it.

I braved myself and encouraged enough to stare at her and inhaled a huge amount of oxygen needed. "Why are you bothering me?" I exhaled, quite terrified to what I just ask to her. I hope she won't posses me or something.

Gaps of six seconds of silence were there before she opened her mouth to answer my question. "You are the only one… Who I can ask help to…" she said with a euphony voice. Confusion was written on my face. Before I could ask her the question of me being the chosen one, she pointed her finger to me and murmured, "You… can see me…"

It did answer the entire question. I realized from the day I met her, nobody was able to see her except for me. The creeps crouched up to me, but I decided not to let it conquer me as I have another thing to say to her.

I took a deep breath again and glared at her, preparing myself for this. "W-Will you then show us the exit of this place and let us go if I read this diary?" I offered her a deal. This was unquestionably awkward for a pure living creature to make a trade with a dead spirited being. But I couldn't think of anything else. It was my only chance to be saved from this place.

Not a word she muttered, only stiff and frozen gestures she showed me. I began to lose hope. But she suddenly nodded weakly which means she finally agreed.

I was doubtful to read it, but a deal is a deal. I slowly opened the brittle cover of the rusty book. The writing was beautifully written and unexpectedly very neat. I began to read it on by one of the entries. "Day one, 22nd of August…"

_Day one, 22nd of August_

_Dear,__** Aisu**___

_This will be my first time calling you with this name. I'm not willing to call you in a classic way like 'dear diary'. It's boring I guess hahahah. Well, mum bought me you from the nearest Japanese stationary store so you'll be my friend. No one here in the village is willing to play with me because I'm different.__  
__Well, I hope you could be a good friend to me and we could get along. Tee-hee. ___

_From your new friend, __  
__**Lillia.**_

It struck me when I read the name Lillia. _It was the name of the girl in my dream!_

I looked up to the emerald-eyed girl. She definitely looks the same with the girl I saw in my dream! But why?

I continued reading her entries, flipping from a page to another.

_Day 9, 30th August_

_Dear,__** Aisu**___

_None of the kids here wanted to be my friend. It was heartbreaking how they started to call me a witch and white just because I have this green eyes and golden hair. But I can handle it. I just need to get use to it. Anyway I got you by my side Aisu-chan. So everything will be alright.__  
__Oh I almost forgot to tell you the good news! Mommy will bring me to a primary school! I hope I could make friends with the others right there. And to make sure everything will be alright, I'll bring you with me. Good night for now!___

_From,__  
__**Lillia**_

I flipped another page and found it was blank, torn and half burnt. It reminded me with the fire incident which I saw in my dream. I got my goose bumps but not letting it continued any further. I gulped and flipped another page. Blank again. Flipped another one. Still blank. Did she die in that building? I flipped another page again and finally found another entry which proved my guess was wrong. But I realized no more date nor days given in the book anymore.

_Dear,__** Aisu**___

_It was horrible! Terrible! I don't even know where I am anymore. Good thing you were with me Aisu. You did see all the fire didn't you!? I was surprised that we survived from the hell.__  
__I don't know for how long I have been asleep. I couldn't note the time and the date anymore. I don't know where we are right now, but I could see there are a lot of people looking just like me here. Everyone has a white skin and green eyes, but their hairs are all in different colours.__  
__They look as miserable as me. Torn clothes, torn shoes, messy hair. But we did get along well. Mary, one of the girls I met just now, told us that we're being sold as white slaves for the Japanese's nobles and rich-men. I've heard about them from mommy years before but never really know it exist.__  
__I haven't heard about mommy for awhile. I hope she's alright.___

_From,__  
__**Lillia**_

"Lillia's mom," I murmured to myself, remembering what had happened to her by the villagers. I shook my head hard to forget about the terrible nightmare and continued reading the next page." This is not the one she's trying to let me read," I said to myself while looking at the girl next to me. She was solemn as ever.

_…and there was the time when we found a fish…_

I skipped the line and went to another page.

_…we were worried with our parents…_

Skipped again.

_…and then the messy haired man bought me…_

I stopped my hand before flipping another page as I saw that sentence. _Bought?_I decided to read the whole entry.

_Dear, Aisu___

_I was playing with Eric when suddenly the building keeper approached me with a unique looking man. He was wearing a thick glasses and super messy grey hair with his over-longed white coat. He pointed at me and then the messy haired man bought me. His name was Rio.__  
__I was surprised and sad. It means that I have to part with my friends.__  
__That evening, he took me with his long, jet-black, expensive looking car to some cave which he named it 'the tunnel of Rio's lab'. It was moist and damp. He took me deeper and deeper and we reached to a beautiful place with all the morning glories and sunflowers in it. He said 'we arrived at my lab.'__  
__He even showed me a place to sleep and stay which he called it as the 'white doll house'. The place did look like a big doll house with all white as the theme. The ceiling was naturally made by Mother Nature with the big opened gap between the rocky walls. Rio told me.__  
__He even showed me the greatness of the flowers. They can bear fruits! I didn't know that a morning glory and sunflower grows apples and cherries before! Rio told me that it was made through his scientific intelligent. I think Rio is great!__  
__Then he even showed me a passage way to a pool. It was the best place to take a bath and swim! I thanked Rio for bringing me to this exclusive place. Rio left me in this place at night. I hope we can get use to this place!___

_From,__  
__Lillia_

Reading the entry for the second time, I realized that the whole placed described in the entry was exactly the same like where I and Ikuto is. "What's… with this?" I questioned the girl but she wouldn't answer. I continued reading the other entries.

_….It was fun and enjoyable…._

_…was funny and sweet…_

_…the fruits taste the best…_

_…I missed the outside world…_

_…he wouldn't let me go…_

_…tried to escape but failed…_

The entries got worsen day by day. I swiftly opened pages by pages and found a blank entry. I flipped another page and it was blank again like before. I flipped all the remaining pages of the book but they were all blank. _Has the diary entry finished? But it was some kind like a cliff-hanger._

I closed the book and found a sheet of paper flew out from it. It was somewhat strange. It wasn't part of the diary. In fact, it looked as if it was torn forcefully by from the diary. I was truly doubtful to read it or not, but decided to keep my promise of reading the diary.

I slowly picked the paper up and took it nearer to the lighter. It was something in red colour and wasn't beautifully written as before. It's not neat either. I pulled it nearer to the lighter again this time. There, the words were badly arranged and was written to form a…

I hurriedly threw it away in horror. I wanted to scream but was unable to. I saw it. The words were written with blood as some of the stains still remain in the edge of the paper. I glanced at the paper again to see the words.

_HELP ME_

I felt nauseated. On that moment, I vomited in disgust and in fear. The emerald-eyed girl turned to me with her silver tears flowing down her cheek with a guilty expression, looking at me who had been throwing up for several times as my sweat began to cover my face. "I'm… sorry…" she apologized before she vanished.

A sudden light illuminated over me from above.

"Amu-chii! Are you alright?" I heard Ran's voice. I putted my hand above my eyes and squinted it a bit to see who was there. There were Ran, Suu, Miki and Yoru and a tall and navy-blue haired guy rushing towards me weakly.

"I…kuto?"

He grabbed my hand, pulled my body towards him and held me tightly which made me shy and blushed again.

"I-Ikuto! What are you do-"

"Please," he cut my sentence before I even finished it. "Please… let me do this for… awhile…" he asked for my permission with his low and weak husky voice.

I was bewildered and finally let him hold me. My face went all red. "B-But Ikuto-" I saw his navy blue hair was wet and messy. His body was all sweating and I saw scratches and bruises painted his body.

"We were digging up and rolling all the boulders which fell from above," Ran explained which answered the entire thing that made me trapped inside the passage way and why it took them so long for giving me the exit.

"Ikuto was so worried about you nyaa! He worked the most! You should thank him nyaa!" Yoru ordered me while crossing his arms unhappy.

I looked up at him again. He was huffing and puffing, inhaling and exhaling rapidly. He's sick, yet he worked this hard for me?

I felt touched for awhile and hugged Ikuto tenderly while whispered to him, "Thank you."

Without looking back to his face, I already knew that he was slightly smiling between his huffs and puffs. Smiling in relief and thankfulness.

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	9. Chapter 9

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**CHAPTER 9 – Gibbous Moon**

"So _*cough*_ you're telling me that you saw that green-eyed girl again?" Ikuto flipped the pages in a swift, unbelieving what he sees.

I nodded weakly. There were only rustles of the pages being flipped here and there filling up the whole place. His sapphire eyes stuck on the diary, fully concentrated. I found him half believing and half not believing the whole story I told him an hour ago. It was not his fault, though. I myself still couldn't believe nor understand all the mystical things which have encountered me.

Ikuto sighted as he closed the dusty diary's cover and moved approaching the shelf, trying to put the diary back on its place. His right hand which was used to carry the cursed book shakes a little and accidentally dropped the book as he tried to insert it in between the gaps. "Sorry," he mumbled as he bends his back down and took the rust-coloured book into the gaps.

I looked at his every single move in woe. The boy who used to have a straight and powerful back and would stand for his own will. The boy who is now would cough for several times and own not a single strength to lift his body upright. I stared at him down. Devastation overpowered me as I recognized the big difference in Ikuto's figure.

Lowering my head in guilt, the navy blue haired teen found the burden written on my face. He smiled a little and moved back to the spot where he sat before. The long hand of his was stretched to let his wide palm landed on my pink-head just right. "It's okay," he whispered and pulled his hand back as he head to the bed slowly.

I blushed in embarrassment. "Was it really written on my face?" I murmured.

"Yup!"

"Yes desu~"

"Of course Amu-chii!"

"I will never ask you guys' ideas anymore," I murmured, complaining to Ran, Miki, and Suu as they giggled. I chuckle a bit as I saw them smiling ear to ear at me.

"Ah! You finally smiled!" Miki notify me joyfully.

"You haven't smiled since then Amu-chii," Ran giggled happily as she flew around my head.

"Yeah you have been quiet since we left that place desuu~," Suu looked deep in my eyes in relief, "I'm glad you finally smiled desuu~"

I raised my eyebrows in amaze, just realizing how they have been worried about me all along. I stared at them, amused. There was also a strike expression of guilt on their faces which they tried to cover with their smiles. I may presume that they were trying to apologize for leaving me behind and made me fell into the danger all by myself.

I lowered my body to meet their level and smiled at them widely. "Next time you leave me again, don't ever wish for me to smile like this again," I warned them while laughing softly. The red, blue, and green little eyes of them sparkled in pleasure and excitement. I let them go after I grew tired of hearing them thanking me for the billionth time.

I took a deep breath and blew it loudly. I massage my left shoulder in circular then thumping motion to relax my muscle. "It sure has been a tiring day," the husky voiced commented behind my back.

I turned my head around to find Ikuto leaning on the bed with a little weak smirk carved on his appealing face dashingly. I arched my eyebrows towards him which he replied with a low chuckle, "You thought I was asleep didn't you? Too bad I didn't". I sighted. He's definitely a mind-reader.

"Go to sleep already," I brought up my cool and spicy character.

"Oh, I haven't seen this character of yours for quite some days," he chuckled annoyingly. I pouted, feeling as if I'm back being his toy.

"Well you should go to sleep anyway. No one goes to bed and not sleep at the same time you know," I defended myself quite unsure with what I'm saying myself. Well, I did think I said it correctly… didn't I?

"So now you're saying this to me after all the things I've done for you?" he raised his right eyebrow and grinned at the same time as if he was trying to tell me 'I've won this quarrel already. What can you say next?'

To think of it, he's always been there whenever I'm in trouble. I rewind all those memories. He chased after me when I fell into this creepy tunnel, not caring about his injuries. He grabbed on me when I was about to fall even though he knows I was irritated by him. He confronted me when I had the nightmare and made me feel so much better. He gave all his might in digging up all those boulders in order to save me from the darkness, even though he was badly ill. And...

Will I be here without him now?

"I'll be sleeping now as you wish," he went down the small pearl bed and sat next to it, leaning his head unto it quietly, slowly closing his eyelids.

Looking confused, I asked, "Why don't you sleep on the bed?"

"I thought you won't like it when I sleep on the same bed as yours," he explained, still closing his eyes.

He's right though. I really don't want to sleep on the same bed as his. "But you're sick now. You can take my place," I offered him in concern.

"Where do you think I sleep nights before?"

I froze, thinking. To think of it, I've never thought of that before. I stared at him, slightly feeling guilty. "Sorry," I murmured and saw a slight smirk painted on his face.

"Amu-chan! Look what've I got!" Miki flew approaching me while carrying some piece of colourful papers. "Aren't they pretty? The colours of them are so artistic I'm guessing you'll like them a lot!" she threw those shredded papers onto my knees, making all the mess until the floor.

"Aww Miki! You shouldn't just throw them away like that! You're making a mess!" I scolded the sky blue chara while picking up the remaining papers from the ground. Miki unhappily pouted as she crossed her arms, "I was just trying to make all the exaggeration of an art," she mumbled.

"Geez Miki," I grumbled while gathering all the nearest pieces on the floor. Then, I was petrified at what came before my very eyes. A half-torn picture of a very familiar looking face flew right in front of me. I gaped in silence. _Could it be…? _

Racing by the wind, I caught the picture before it got blown away. I let my eyes face the fact and observed it over and over again. A sweet and smiling face of a girl with Goldilocks' hair and dazzling emerald-coloured eyes. "This can't be-" I whispered half choked.

"Wh-What is it Amu-chan?" Miki asked me half curious half frightened. I rushed to the silent dressing table and opened the rusty drawer. A half torn picture of a body of girl wearing a white dress around my age lied there without any suspicion. I took it out hurriedly and matched both of the pictures together. The picture now created an image of a white dressed girl smiling with her beguiling emerald eyes and gold-like smooth hair shines adorably. Just like-

"…That girl?"

"Amu-chan are you okay?" Miki whispered to me, starting to get afraid.

"No."

"Huh?"

"This is-" I raised the complete picture now to take a better look, "…Lillia."

**THUD!!**

The sudden din made me jump. I looked around to see who was the culprit who almost gave me a heart attack and saw Suu in front of the scattered teddy bears, surprised all by herself.

"Pheww. I thought I was going to be squashed when I tried to clean all their dusts," she rubbed her chest to stop her thumping heartbeat. I glared at her in anger but gladly she didn't figure it out.

"Anyway," I pulled back the drawer and putted both half-torn pictures inside it and hurriedly closed it tight, not wanting to gain the goosebumps. Miki hovered in confusion but didn't ask any longer about it. I gave Miki the remaining pieces of papers back while trying to pull a smile for her. "Y-You can keep them Miki. I- won't need them for- awhile," I stuttered as she received all the junks.

"O-kay then," Miki clutched all the bundles of paper as she flew away nervously but suddenly stopped in the mid air. "Amu-chan," she called me quite uncertain what she's going to say next.

"Yes?" I looked up at the tiny blue sprite curiously.

She didn't say a word for several seconds but then took a deep breath. "i-if you're having a problem you can fully rely on us, okay?" she exhaled with her face blushing red and flew out in the speed of light, embarrassed.

I was staggered for a moment but blew a small smile. "I can't believe the always cool and calm Miki could say such a thing," I giggled. For a moment there, all my worries about the connection of the girl named Lillia and the emerald-eyed girl vanished. I stretched my arms as my eyes stuck on sleeping Ikuto.

"He did sleep," I talked to myself in quite amazement. Except for papa, Ikuto's the only guy who I've ever seen sleeping right infront of me. I gulped and dared myself to tiptoed and sat beside him, gazing at his enticing look. His long eyelashes stayed calmly, not moving a single bit. His breathing was so slow and calm, almost nothing to be heard. Not a trace of his smirk showed up like he always does; only silent and peace on his face. Without my knowing, my cheek went pink and my eyes were not able to see anything else except for his seductive face. My heart thumped uncontrollably. My fingers moved on its own will, trying to touch his smooth, silky navy-blue hair. I was captivated by him.

"Is it so fun to attack me while I'm sleeping?" the husky voice showed and a grin came up to the surface of his face. I gasped as I figured my hand was about to touch his hair. I quickly pulled it back, feeling humiliated by myself. "It wasn't on purpose!" I tried to defend myself but got a chuckle of his as the reward.

Still closing his eyes, his strong left hand pulled me unto his shoulder and made me gasped in surprise. Without letting a chance for me to ask what's he up to, he pulled me even tighter and made me leaned my head to his chest now. "It's quite late now, don't you need a rest, Amu?" he smirked as if he was enjoying me blushing like crazy.

"I'm taking my rest on the bed, so let go!" I pushed myself from his but lose in a matter of strength. Ikuto didn't plan to let me go at all.

"Won't it be better if we take a rest together?" his smirk was getting wider as my face was getting red.

"NO!! GET LOST YOU HENTAI NEKOMIMI OTOKO!!! YOU SAID YOU WILL BE SLEEPING HERE SO I CAN SLEEP ON THE BEDD!!!" I screamed hysterically as I kept on pushing him in order to escape. But his grip was getting even tighter the more I tried to resist.

"Oh did I? I didn't remember saying such a thing," he smirked teasingly. I felt like punching him on the face this time.

"I DON'T WANT THIS!!" I cried again, hoping this time he will listen to me.

"But I want this," he grinned, declaring my lost. I sighted, giving up.

"Fine. But I won't be sleeping. I WON'T!"

_  
__**2 hours later…**_

"And I thought she said she won't be sleeping at all…" Ikuto's sapphire eyes gazed at the cherry-pink-haired girl who's snoring now beside him. He sighted and smiled at the same time, brushing her hair softly.

"Ikuto I'm back nya~" the black cat sprite flew across Ikuto's face looking tired.

"Thanks for your hard work, Yoru," Ikuto patted on Yoru's velvety indigo hair in care.

Yoru's chrome-yellow sharp eyes stared at Ikuto and switched to stare at the pink-headed girl he's holding up to. He exhaled in disappointment.

"What's that sighting about?" Ikuto protested but kept his voice low, not wanting to wake her up.

"Ikuto," the mini figure sat in front of him, lowering his head to be able not to see Ikuto's glaring eyes thrusting into his. "Ikuto, please nya," he begged, "Don't let yourself drown into your feelings. We have to remember our main objective nyaa."

The cat boy turned his head to the other side, trying to ignore Yoru. But he found himself failed.

**  
THUD!!**

Ikuto's eyes turned around to find a rust-colour book fell from its shelf. "The diary?" he guessed as he carefully stood up and pulled Amu to the side of the bed, letting her lean on it instead of him. He walked silently to pick up the book as Yoru took a peek.

"What's that nya?"

Ikuto flipped the pages randomly and found his eyes stuck on an entry.

_  
_

…_reached to a beautiful place…morning glories and sunflowers…white doll house…bear fruits…_

_Is this…?_ Ikuto kept on reading and reading the whole entry and found the word he was looking for: _scientific intelligent._

A sudden gust of wind blew past Ikuto onto the drawer of the dressing table. The innocent drawer was forcedly opened itself and let the hidden torn-pictures thrown out from it. Ikuto rushed to pick them up before the landed on the floor. His eyes widened as he recognized the image.

"Ikuto nya~! Come here quick!" Yoru called for him from the golden field excitedly.

The navy-blue haired boy approached his chara to look at the galaxy. " Ikuto nya~! Which one is Sagitarius?" Yoru pulled Ikuto's sleeve while pointing at the zillion of stars scattered in the midnight sky.

"There's no Sagitarius in this kind of season," he sighted in disappointment as he thought the cat chara found something useful to strengthen his analysis.

"Then how bout Cancer nyaa~?"

"There's no Cancer too in this seaso-" Ikuto bit his tounge when he saw the morning glories were still blooming in the moonlight ray. "What the…?" he squatted down to take a better look at the butter-coloured tiny flowers. _They are blooming. There's no mistaking it._

"Yoru, do you know why this flower is called as morning glory?" Ikuto asked Yoru, trying to test his guess.

"Umh.. Because they only bloom in the morning nya~?"

Ikuto nodded in agreement and looked up at the sky. A white dazzling moon about to construct itself to a circular figure. "Gibbous moon."

"What's wrong Ikuto nyaa~?" Yoru looked at the same direction as his owner's. "What's so special about the moon?"

"Oh it is special Yoru," he stood up as his eyes still fixed on the radiance of the white moon then smirked in satisfaction towards Yoru, "I think I know how we could get out of here."

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	10. Chapter 10

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**CHAPTER 10 – The Warning**

The blazing sun shines like the usual. Fleecy white puffs of clouds were moving in a super slow motion like days before. There was a peaceful silence and only chirps of birds ahead could only be heard. Everything was normal like it usually does. Except for one.

"Come on Amu-chii. Erase that expression already! It's scary," Ran protested while raising her pink pom-poms in irritation.

"Ran's right Amu-chan," the sweet green chara popped out from nowhere," Come on, give us a wide smile desu~" she persuaded.

"Amu that kind of expression is a disgrace for an artist to draw!" the sky blue chara crossed her arms in anger.

I glared the three of them, pissed. I curved my lips even more and frowned. The three tiny charas could only sight, not knowing what to do to save my expression anymore.

"Come on Amu-chii, anyone can fall asleep even if they didn't plan to…"

"BUT IT'S IKUTO I'M TALKING ABOUT! A HENTAI NEKOMIMI OTOKO!!" I cried in anger. I can't forgive myself for falling asleep right beside him. Right beside a perverted cat-boy!! "TELL ME NOW HOW CAN I FACE PAPA IF HE KNOWS I SLEPT WITH A BOY ALREADY!!" I yelled.

"Well he didn't do anything to you while you were asleep right?"

"He didn't? HE DIDN'T?! OR DID HE?! HOW SHOULD I EVEN KNOW!!" I hollered in a mixed tone between panic and anger.

"Umh… well the worst case which you may have to encounter will probably only be," Miki inhaled exaggeratingly as she continued, "you carrying your baby."

"NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'M ONLY THIRTEEN!!! THIRTEEENNNN!!!!" I started to run around the room hysterically while Miki laughed like mad as she got a knocked on the head from Ran.

"Oh, come on Amu-chii. You know Ikuto is not that kind of person," Ran confronted me, "he's not that bad, right?"

"Unless he tried to see your nude body again, maybe he won't be that nice." I screamed in terror while Miki got another knock on her head from Ran.

"Why don't you ask him yourself Amu-chan? Just to confirm things up desu~" Suu suggested which I replied with a shook of disagreement.

"Stupid Suu. She'll get embarrassed for asking such question, right Amu-chii?" I nodded in agreement.

"But if she won't be asking him, what can we do if he did touch her last night?" I screamed again in horror as Miki got her third knock on her head. "You too Amu-chii! Stop with those expressions already!" the pink chara scolded me.

"Just think about it Amu-chan. We still have time to consider and rethink things up before Ikuto came back desu~"

"Oh, where did he go anyway?" I finally realized. He was nowhere to be found since I opened my eyes. Not even a slight dust of his navy blue hair nor a single trace he left. As if he was never been by my side before.

I shivered, frightened by my own thoughts. As if I was about to lose him soon. As if I won't be able to see him anymore. As if… I will be standing… all on my own?

"Amu-chan?" I gasped to see Suu's worried face appeared right infront of me, "are you okay? You're sweating desu~" Suu's tiny hand wiped my cheek gently to catch the falling cold droplets from my forehead.

"I bet she's thinking about the baby stuffs… *giggles* sorry just joking. DON'T KNOCK MY HEAD AGAIN RAN! I SAID I'M SORRY!!"

I lowered Suu's hand and patted her head softly, "Thanks for worrying, but- I'm fine," I pulled a smile for her which she replied by raising her eyebrow in disbelief.

"Hey Suu help me out! Ran's going crazy!" the blue chara cried for help as Ran was chasing after her in anger.

"Poor Miki desu~ I shall help you desu~!" The three charas went out of the room while chasing after one and the other. I sighted, looking at their childishness.

_"…the anxiety of being left behind…"_

The solemn voice brought my goosebumps back again.

" …you know it now…" her cold fingers touched my cheek as her emerald eyes ripped off my confidence. My body stiffens, unable to turn my head around as I wish. "…the feeling of betrayed…sadness..." her freezing body touched my chest as her smooth feet clings to my lap, pulling my face nearer to hers. I choked in fear, forced to only look at her pale face.

Wait, something's odd in her eyes. I tried to build my guts to look at her dangerously beautiful emerald eyes. There was the outstanding sadness in her eyes. No, it was more than that. It was an eye of-

"…lonely?" she whispered as she pulled her body from me. I then was able to breathe properly again. With her faded feet, she walked away from me. I was relieved she finally left me alone. But, a feeling of pity and being pitied overpowered me. Am I really happy for leaving her like that? Am I really relieved for letting her go?

No, this is just not right.

"W-wait!" I stopped her in reflex. She stopped walking as I commanded; turning her head around with the same gloom on her eyes but with a lot more questioning looks now.

"I- uh…." I stuttered, suddenly felt all nervous. Is it okay for stopping her on her way? I mean, she's a ghost and I…

"…go on…" she allowed me as her emerald eyes wanders around my shadow. I gulped. It has been decided then

"W-What do you mean by those things… I-I mean," shoot. I bit my tounge.

"…my mother left me…" she suddenly spoke, "…lost my friends… lost the person that I trust…"

"But your mother was-"

"…alone…" she looked me straight on the eyes, making me all trembled all of the sudden. She was not moving from her spot, but I could feel her presence right beside me. I could feel all the creeps crawling up to me. Her figure looked frightening all of the sudden with her emerald eyes glaring at me close. Cold sweats drooled down from my spine. "…I will not hurt you…" she whispered to calm me down.

"Wh-why?" a stupid question I threw to her. At least, stupid enough to make her change her mind.

With her head slightly tilted, she gave me a mysterious smile. "...we're most likely the same…"

A strike feeling of confusion and fear stroke my heart. "Th-the same?" I tried to confirm her last words, hoping it was wrong. But she only smiled behind her poker-face, not revealing the answer for me. "…never forget those sadness…" she reminded me as her appearance was fading to the thin air.

I could only stand still as she was gone. "…never forget…" I murmured to myself as if I was warning myself from some upcoming tragedy. I shook my head fast. "Sh-she was just trying to scare me. That's all," I convinced myself but deep down was completely unsure.

"Amu-chan! Ikuto's back!" Miki delightedly flew towards me and with all her might pulled my hair, "PLEASE ASK HIM ABOUT LAST NIGHT!! RAN WON'T STOP CHASING AFTER ME!!" she suddenly shrieked in horror.

"Ikuto's back?" I pushed Miki away as I ran outside to find him.

"See, she's going to ask him. SO PLEASE STOP KNOCKING MY HEAD!" Miki yelled at the Ran as she was about to slap Miki's head with a fork.

"Ah, but I saw Ikuto was still talking with Yoru desu~ Are you sure it's okay for Amu to interrupt them?" Suu asked politely between the two sister charas who are fighting with each other now.

"Well, if it is Amu-chii I think they'll be fine."

"Yeah. I guess so too. GET OFF ME ALREADY RAN!!"

The light green chara could only sighted alone as she gazed outside worriedly. "I wonder if it will be okay…"

**-------------------------------------------------------------**

I dashed myself outside the dollhouse to find the tall cat-boy. I couldn't think of anything else but was eager to search for his shadow, for his figure. Nothing else was there for me to think of. And that's when my mistake showed.

"Ikuto nya~! Can you stop this already?" the cat-like voice echoed until it reached my ear. The source was from outside the entrance where the stairs lied. "Ikuto?" I notified myself in joy. Without thinking twice, I ran towards them.

"Yoru, it's not like that," the low husky voice declined. I could see him now although we're still quite a distance apart. He was leaning on the rocky wall looked much well than before now.

"If I know that was your objective from all along I shouldn't chased after you nya!" Yoru yelled at the navy blue haired boy angrily. Few more wide steps before I could reach him.

I was not patient enough. I raised my hands as I loudly called for him, "Iku-"

"The only reason I came here with you because you told me you're only searching for the embryo nya!!"

I was staggered, stunned, shocked in a blow of a second. Embryo?

"We wouldn't fall to this place if we didn't follow that girl if she hadn't been holding the embryo! It's all her fault nya!!"

So does this mean Ikuto was chasing after the embryo, not me all along?

"And stop pitying her! She won't realize her mistakes if you kept on doing that nya!!"

Pity? So all along he pitied me? So all along I was being pitied by him?

"Yoru, listen to me. I-"

Bum!!

Ikuto and Yoru turned their head immediately as the din sound crashed. A boulder fell from the stone wall, almost squashed me to pieces.

"Amu!" the tall teen shrieked as he approached me as fast as he could worriedly. He quickly grabbed my arm carefully, trying not to hurt me. "Amu are you okay? It didn't hurt you did it?" Ikuto started to examine my sleeveless arm from any injury I may get.

"Go away!" I quickly pulled my arm back in anger, leaving him surprised. "Amu?" in confusion and amazement he asked with all the sudden change of me.

"I don't need you to pity me!" I hollered at him in an unbearable anger. I could tell from his confused look he didn't understand a think I spitted just now. "You think I didn't hear what you said just now?! Well too bad Tsukiyomi Ikuto-san. You're looking for the embryo right? So why waste time pitying me?! Go now! Find that embryo yourself!" I shouted at him in berserk.

"You heard? No that's not the problem. Amu you got it all wrong," he tried to persuade me but only built my anger in result.

"I SAID GET OUT OF MY FACE!!" I cried in disgust.

There was a pause of several seconds between me and him. "Fine," he suddenly spoke. I was surprised to hear his answer while he stood up and walked away from me.I could only gaze downwards, not trying to stop him from walking away.

"Amu-chan…" Suu popped out from the big boulder. "Are you okay desu?" she touched my arm gently in concern.

"Yes. I'm fine. I-It didn't hit me," I replied weakly while bitterly smiled at her lime-coloured eyes. "That's good to hear," Suu's tiny smile showed up and made me felt a little bit better.

"I'm sorry desu," the light green chara apologized as she wiped my arm with some herbs. "For eavesdropping," she answered my question just by looking me raising my eyebrows not understandingly. " It was a bad quarrel wasn't it?" she murmured but I could still hear her.

"Well, it was his fault for pitying me anyway. No one asked for it," I giggled. I was hoping Suu would giggle along with me to make me feel better, but she didn't. She even looked up at me in concern.

"Then what's this desu?" she wiped a droplets from my cheek and showed it to me.

"Eh was I sweating again? Geez I didn't even realize that," I laughed but found her shaking her head. "You're not sweating Amu-chan. You're crying desu."

"What are you talking about Suu? I'm not-"suddenly my sight was blurred by a shield of tears.

"It's okay desu," Suu hugged me tight, "You can cry. I know you feel sad Amu-chan. No more pretending desu."

I tried to hold my tears from coming out from my eyes, but I failed. I hugged Suu back as tears were streaming down my cheek. I was sulking and wailing as Suu tried to confront me without saying a thing. My heart hurts. It hurts more when I remembered how Ikuto could reply shortly to me like that. It hurts a lot when I remembered the way he left me behind without looking back even just a glance.

I sulked and wailed and let all my tears burst out until I fell asleep with still tears flowing out…

**-------------------------------------------------------------**

The tall figure leaped inside the room under the moonlight's shine. His sapphire eyes were searching for the cherry-haired girl who was fast asleep by then.

On the bed she lied stiffly. The navy-blue haired boy walked silently approaching her. With such an angelic look she fast asleep. Her fleecy naturally pink hair matched her pink cheek, making her looks all adorable like a French doll. Her small perfect fingers were half hidden under the white sheet covering her. His eyes stuck on the swollen eye caused by too many crying done. He sighted for a disappointment to himself. "What have I done," he whispered to himself as he brushed her fringes sadly.

"Iku-to," she mumbled as a drop of tear strolled down her cheek. The navy-blue haired boy was stunned, besotted. She was not awake, but he could swear he heard her calling for his name.

He smiled gently and pressed his soft lips on her forehead with care. "I'm sorry about today Amu," he whispered on her ear low enough it won't wake her up. He pulled his body from her and leaped outside the room quietly towards his chara who have been waiting for him and sighted for few times. "Let's go Ikuto nya!!"

And below the moonlight's shine, both of them disappeared into the darkness.

The emerald eyes watched them behind the shadows as she murmured , _"…never forget those sadness…"_

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	11. Chapter 11

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**CHAPTER 11 – A Chance To Take**

I laid my body in the middle of the majestic field and putted one of my arms on my face to cover it from the sunshine's glistering light. "It's bright…" I murmured lifelessly. The three loyal charas could only stare one another, stared at me and faced each other again.

"Amu-chan, come on! The evening sun is so wonderful desu~" the squealing voice of Suu who tried to cheer me up turned to a worthless effort. I kept on gazing blankly at the amber sky.

"She's been like that since morning," Ran sighted worriedly, "I wonder what happened to her."

"She won't talk even if we ask," Miki crossed her arms as she exhaled tiredly. "You know something Suu?"The green chara rapidly shook her head suspiciously. "I-I think she's just tired. Let us leave her alone for awhile desu~" the light green pixie suggested while she pushed her mini comrades away.

With no one left except for me in the entire huge space, I finally raised my back to a sitting position, still lifeless. "Ikuto…"

_"I SAID GET OUT OF MY FACE!!"_

"…Fine"

I shut my eyes tight, trying not to spill even a single drop of my tears again. But I was still suffering to the pain of my heart. Every time I collected that memory again, I felt my heart was being stabbed furiously by thousands of daggers. It was only Ikuto who said that. Yet, I could feel my whole body being tormented.

My head started to spin. Oxygen was getting harder for my lungs to reach. I was mentally and physically dying.

"…you will not die from such suffer…"

I opened my eyes weakly to found the emerald-eyed girl standing right in front of me. I could feel no fear or fright to her right now. This pain has dominated my entire body unconditionally.

With her mesmerizing hair blown by the warm breeze; danced on the mid-air, she squatted down and stared at me; enjoying watching me panting in torture. "…how lovely…" she gave me a smirking look as I glared at her in return. "...angry?" she guessed in such a playful tone.

"Get off me!!" I growled at the spirit while grabbing my chest to reduce the pain. She giggled.

"…This is your first to be able to talk to me firmly," she smiled as her eyes glitters. "Or was it because of that…?" her long index finger pointed to my chest as I glared at her in tremendous anger, ready to make her feel death for the second time.

"You don't need to stare at me like that…" she warned me with an icy tone, "…I could feel your rage…" her alluring voice suddenly thrilled me. It somehow glows yet it doesn't. It's somehow dull yet it's not. As if I was hypnotized, I could do nothing as she started to lean her faded body towards me.

Her freezing touch sleeked over my neck. "…warm…" she commented plainly as her hands started to rove around my body. I gasped helplessly, but nothing happened after that. "…this body…" her fingers trickled downwards gently, "…is suffering isn't it…?" her pale hand pressed my chest hard, made me nauseated. Her emerald eyes were intense, showing no mercy. "…shall I take over this body?" she purred as my eyes widened in aghast.

"… you were failed to save this body from pain…" her hands moved upwards this time, "…and I have warned you not to forget…" her elusive beauty of her chalky hands reached my neck, "…unlike you…" in a swift killing move she grabbed my neck and I shrieked in pain and horror, "…I can save this living body properly…"

I was struggling with her and the destructive pain on my throat. Every time I resisted, she will grab my neck even tighter. I gaped for oxygen but none reached me. Only pain and suffering were there. I couldn't feel my throat as a part of my body anymore. "…this only hurts a little… but you will feel nothing soon…" her solemn dulcet voice echoed to my ears inaudibly. My sight became blurry; I could only see the emerald eyes glowing in happiness, or despair. Nothing was clear on my mind anymore.

Will this be the end of me?

Will I die here?

There's no hope for me to survive anyway. At least, in this way I won't need to suffer from all the pain anymore.

I won't need to wonder why my heart hurts a lot when I think about him.

About Ikuto…

…**No.**

"…you are pathetic…"

With all my might, I slowly pulled my body to rise as she gasped in surprised. "…what the…?" she felt an extreme heat flowed from her palms to her body, boiling her soul as the heat point rises. She began to get frightened for it was killing her. "…this…can't be…"

In a speed of light, she loosens her grip on my neck and gave its freedom back. I coughed deafeningly until it hurts my throat hard. Well, it was better than the feeling of having no throat. Rubbing my neck to reassure nothing was ripped off from it, I glanced at her stiffed face.

"…what a lost soul hated the most are faith and will…" the dazzling emerald eyes were squinted on me in disbelief, "…I was so close to get into your body… but you realized…" she gritted her teeth in anger.

"Showing yourself up *cough*to me" I regained my voice back,"… Giving me your *cough*brief background… Getting *cough*close to me…" I hold my wounded neck from the excruciating pain as I clutch my fist displeasured. "You *cough* were planning to do *cough* this all along?". Not a word she spilled, only a slight nod of grudge she gave upon me. "I- thought you *cough* wanted me to *cough* help you-"

"…I can wait no more…" with the bitter expression she claimed. Her emerald eyes beamed to the sky which was getting darker and darker, "…my time is almost up…"

"Time…?"

"…full moon…" she lifted her head to gaze at the almost complete circular moon's appearance. "…either will I go back to that place," the emerald eyes looked at me in deep sadness, "or locked in this cage forever…"

"Is that why you need *cough* my body? To get out from this place?" I looked at her sharply, being aware for the first time.

Not even care to look at me she explained, "…and to save your body from such suffer…"

"I don't need you to rescue me!" I stood up in anger, "I can save myself-"

"Then can you save me like you save yourself…?" she attacked me back without hesitation. "…I died with such pain and was unable to do anything about it…" with the pale white arms she wrapped herself, "…I…don't want such thing to happen again…" her beguiling face was painted in an impulsive agony for a moment there.

Guilt fell over me. I was being harsh on her without knowing anything. "I-I'm sorry…" with my head lowered I apologized but she turned her head away instead, not wanting to face a further contact with me anymore.

"…I shall not bother you anymore…" I was jolted when I heard her said that. As if she knew I was surprised by her words without even looking back she continued, "…I broke the rules to not to interfere with humans anyway… I guess you can say it as… punishment?" her voice trailed off in sorrow.

"You're leaving?" My question was answered with a harsh gust of wind blown over me, disturbing my sight as I found her nowhere when the damnable wind was gone. As if she disappeared along with the wind.

_"…don't forget those sadness Amu…"_ the voice echoed in my head.

I squeezed my hands to overcome the fear. "Not to forget huh…"

"Amu! Great danger!" the blue chara rushed from the entrance towards me in extreme panic, "Iku-Iku-Ikuto was-"

"His head desu!! His headddd!!!!" Suu screamed in greater panic than Miki's, "It was- It was-"

"It was what!!??" I began to panic too.

"Quick Amu-chii! No more time left!" Ran pulled my hand hard to the direction of the stairs. I ran, following her with Suu and Miki tagged along.

"Amu-chan, why's you neck red desu?" fer little fingers touched my swollen neck as I covered it with my hands quickly. _Crap. I forgot about this neck._

"Yes Amu. What happened to your neck?" the sky blue eyes of Miki began to investigate this neck of mine. "Amu-chii what's wrong? Something's wrong with your neck?" _now Ran began to join in this what-happened-to-your-neck conversation. Crap. Crap crap crap!_

"Ah there's Ikuto desu!" the green chara leaped over me as the others followed her. I was relieved momentarily with the distraction.

"Hurry up nya!!" the cat chara's spoiled voice was near to be heard. It has become quite an irksome voice to me since the last time I heard it. I speedup my running, hoping nothing bad happened to Ikuto. With seven yards of sprinting and panting, the navy-blue haired boy was finally found. Lying on the ground helplessly, he didn't notice me approaching him in a hurry.

"Ikuto!" I shook his body in worry, "What happened to you? I heard Suu said something about your head! Are you alright?!" His silent reply built my worry even more. I checked his body to search for any fatal injury and luckily found none; only some harmless scratches. Then what's with the great panic?

"Mmh…" the husky voice mumbled. "Ikuto? Ikuto are you okay?" my hand was carelessly strained upon his head due to my worries as he took the chance and grabbed it downwards which made me fell to.

"Ikuto what are you-"

"'Get out from my face'," he grinned.

"Hu-Huh?! What are you talking abou-"

"'I don't need you to pity me'." the grin on his face became wider and soon I came to realize. I blushed in embarrassment. "I-I was a-angry back then. I-I didn't say them on purpose!" my cheek was burning as I stuttered. _This is so embarrassing!!_

"But you hurt my feeling already," the charming face took its grin back, looking all serious in a sudden. I stunned, never thought he would say that. "Well I wasn't thinking clearly back then…" my honey eyes looked away in guilt, "I'm… sorry…"

"Sorry is not enough, Amu," he pulled my face to his, "I want more from just a sorry."

"M-m-more?" my thoughts began to wander around. _More? As in more from me? Money? That's impossible. He's not poor or anything. Or maybe he wanted my bod-_ I gasped myself as my cheek began to blush even crazier. _No way he wanted that! But maybe just like what Miki said yesterday… No! Nononononono! I can never possibly give him my nude b-bod-_

"Check my head."

"What?"

"I said check my head. That's the only thing I wanted you to do to me."

"O-oh," I paused. Did he say 'check my head'?

"Amu?"

"Oh! Right! Check your head! Yeah, check your head!" I quickly began to brush his hair awkwardly as smoke steam started to come out from my head. _That's right Amu; he only wanted you to check his head from any injury not asking you to give him you body. Not your body, yeah. Not your body. Not at all._

"Are you thinking perverted stuffs?" Ikuto smirked as if he could guess what comes up across my mind.

"H-Huh what are you talking about?!" I gasped in nervousness. Oh no. Oh dear for goodness sake no. "H-How do you- I never think such things! I-I'm not you!" my cool and spicy character saved me. I think it did.

Ikuto only shrugged as he put his head on my lap, relaxing.

"What did you do to your head anyway? My charas were super panic about it," I remembered the three of them being all chaotic about his head.

"I bumped it."

"What?"

"I said I accidentally bumped it to the wall," he scratched his head light. I froze. Only a bump and they're all panic?

"Errh... Does it hurt? A lot?" I tried to make it seem valuable enough to be an 'SOS, ASAP' thing to be.

"No. It doesn't hurt at all," he chuckled, knowing that was not the answer I was looking for."Yoru told your shugo charas that I broke my skull and I'd never thought they were easily tricked." My mouth was dropped open. He was… tricking me?!

"GET OFF YOU FROM MY PRECIOUS LAP!!" my hands were pushing his head aside but his arms cling to my waist like a spoiled kid, "I don't want," he smirked and successfully peeved me.

"Why you-"

"If I didn't call you this way, you won't be coming right?" his sapphire eyes were deeply gazing at me. Startled, I could only gape in silence. "Amu…" his warm hands touched my cheek in care. His sapphire eyes were not planning to leave mine alone. Like a magic casted upon me, I was drowned to his charm, enslaving my senses. Nothing but blushing was the only thing I was able to do as his voluptuous face was coming nearer to mine; close enough to steal another kiss from my lips. I was besotted and ignorant enough as I was drunk by his charm.

"Amu…"

"…Yes?" I replied in daze, still not awake from his radiance.

"I need to talk. Don't daze around," he clapped his hand right in front of my face which brought me down back to Earth. "That's better," he smirked at me who was still having the heart attack with the sudden loud sound of his clap.

"Tonight," he talked almost like whispering, "We shall get out from here."

"What?"

"I will be taking you out from this place, Amu. I found the way out." He repeated himself slowly as if he was talking to a deaf.

I raised my eyebrow, disbelieving him. But he only smirked and stood up, moved away to the dollhouse shelter. I was left stunned.

"Geez that Ikuto. Pulling a prank on us!" Ran protested as she flew approaching me.

"But at least we know now that we'll be out from here soon!" Miki danced in the mid-air in an indescribable joy.

"Aren't you happy Amu-chan? We will be sniffing fresh air tomorrow! I'm so excited desu~!" Suu twirled around me with the same joyfulness as Miki's. I could only stare at them blankly. Just like Suu said, I was supposed to be happy. But, why does that feeling not occurred on me? In fact, I was feeling a little…

…blue?

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	12. Chapter 12

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**Chapter 12 – End of Hope**

"Then tell me."

"Tell you what?"

"How do we get out from here."

Ikuto sat down on the bed right beside me and took out some pieces of junks from his pocket. Neatly arranged, he spread them for me to see as I lowered my body to take a better look.

First, a butter-coloured yet soft and fragile, familiar looking piece of petal was exposed between his long fingers. "The flower," he labeled it.

Next, he took a violet bullet-like blueberry from the side. "The fruit," he named it while his other hand was reaching for another item.

"The caterpillar," the disgusting head of the dead, slimy, gooey olive green insect made me paced backwards for a thousand steps. It was annoying when I saw the grin decorate his face again, but I also don't want to get any closer to that sickening tiny creepy head.

"And last," he pulled the diary from his other pocket and slammed it to the bed with no clear purpose, "the entries."

"So…?"

"You still don't get it don't you?" he looked at me with an underestimating look. I pouted, truly displeased with his act. "I'm still a first year in middle school you know. Don't expect much from my intelligence," I grumbled as he chuckled teasingly.

He lifted up all the trashes and unexpectedly poured them down again to the bed. "It was unusual how the flowers can bear fruits and surprisingly healthy without any treatment for quite a period of time," his thin fingers began to stirred them around, "And how a caterpillar could come into this place gave me the hope that we're actually very near with a living existences population." He pressed the green insect head lightly to freak me out. "My prediction was strengthened when I read the entries of this so-what-called Lillia girl."

"The entries?" Ikuto opened the diary's pages and handed it over to me to read. "Read," he pointed to a sentence as I obeyed him and read it aloud, "Scientific… intelligent?" I looked up at his nodding face. "The word itself explained all the things I need to know."

"I- don't get it-" I scratched my not itchy head in confusion.

"That's because you're stupid nya~" the cat chara stuck his tongue out provocatively which almost lured my eagerness to cut his galling tongue at once.

"I'm suspecting this place might be an experimental lab of some mad scientist," he covered his mouth in a thinking manner. "A Radiation and DNA change is the only explanation for a morning glory to blooms at night and for sunflowers to bear fruits. These can only be practiced using-"

"Science?" I spilled the word as I raised an eyebrow doubtfully, but couldn't find any other proof to make his explanation wrong. "You're getting smart," he chuckled in satisfaction, like a teacher proud that his student scored an A+ for her exam, _for the first time._

"But what does that has anything to do with our escape from this place?" Miki popped out from my back in an unbearable curiosity.

"Are you telling us that we have to get a DNA change too to get out from here?" Ran's hysterical squeal hurt my ear. I was deaf for a second.

"That's why **YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO IKUTO UNTIL HE FINISHED NYA!!**" Yoru growled at the pink and blue chara which made them scared. I could only sight watching the girls hiding behind me cowardly.

"I was just guessing from the way that Rio guy chose this kind of murky place instead of other better place," he walked towards the window to watch outside's view. "There was nothing really special in this kind of place really," disappointed sight blown between his thin lips making me wonder the same as he does. "But then when I observed again, he really needed this kind of place."

This time he approached the curtain and harshly opened them to sides as the sudden scintillating sun light blinded me. "Ikuto what are you doin-"

Without able to continue my words, I was captivated first by the bewitching living paint above the ceiling. Such a dashing tangerine evening sky with no clouds around to disturb its shine as the ochre red sun who loyally accompanied her shall be chased out soon by the pristine moon. My eyes couldn't resist such arresting magic. "It's… beautiful," I commented.

"But it's not the beauty he seek," the cat boy pulled me over to him. "That was the one he was looking for," I let my eyes followed the direction he pointed at to see the ravishing sun.

"What's wrong with the sun?" I stared at him dumb faced. He only stared back at me with a slight I-was-expecting-that-look-from-you laugh blown from his nose.

"Duhh, it's to tell you about the time dumb-head! Can't you even understand that nya?"

"Well, if we realize, there was no clock or watch or so on in this room desu," the little green chara added the information as she floated over my cherry hair. "Maybe that Rio guy is afraid of clock?" I laughed jokingly as Suu giggled.

"Or maybe because he couldn't have such thing in this area." Ikuto's words cut all the fun.

"Magnetic effects from the battery aren't needed nya. It may even interrupt with the experiment done nya," the cat paws were being crossed by Yoru with proud. Everyone was amazed with his sudden intelligent before he added, "That's what Ikuto said to me nya."

"So what's wrong with knowing about the time? There's no big effect to it right?"

"I think he needed the timing to proceed with his plan," the little blue chara began to scribble on her sketchpad, "like this," she showed me a picture of a mad scientist with an ugly looking Frankenstein beside it with a moon on top of their heads. I could only shake my head surely disapproving.

"Or rather he needed it to run away," Ikuto closed back the curtain, "just like what we're going to do," he gave me a victory grin.

"Can you explain more detailed?" I began to get pissed with his all mysterious explanation.

Yoru sniffed the air deeply and smiled cat ear to cat ear. "I smell sea nya!!" he claimed confidently to the four of us excluding Ikuto of course.

"Amu, tell me when is a tidal reaches its highest point?" the question given from the husky voice sounds like my math teacher for a moment there. I stick my index finger on my chin, thinking hard. "On full moon night?" I gave a try.

"Then what night is tonight?"

I counted my fingers as I mumbled the days and date before I gasped in my own amazement. "Full moon night!" I answered aloud as my charas plugged their ear holes with their fingers. Ikuto only gave a slight smile as he sat down calmly.

"You're saying a tidal will go and bust us up?" worry started to consume me just as Ikuto touched my hand fondly. "Not before I save you," he smiled warmly. I went nervous all of the sudden with my face blushing all over again.

"Erh… SO!" Miki suddenly went all jittery too. "Since our time in this place won't last much, why don't we go for a stroll?" her suggestion seemed suspicious as her eyes kept on peeping at me and Ikuto who was still holding my hands.

Ran and Suu was still dumbfounded when they finally went "ooo!" after looking at Ikuto's wink and nodded rapidly to Miki's offer. "Y-yes! That'll be nice! Let's go immediately!" Ran pulled Suu and Miki outside the room with a sudden rush. I began to understand their intention when Yoru unusually followed them too as if he was commanded by his owner.

"YOU GUYS ARE PLANNING TO LEAVE ME WITH THIS PERVERTED GUY?! NO!! DON'T!!!" I pleaded as those giggling little creatures apathetically flew away as if they heard nothing. I stunned. Felt betrayed and frightened with this guy who was still holding my hands bawdily.

"I guess we're alone now, A-m-u," he smirked with zillions of meaning behind that filthy smile.

He detached his big hands from mine and touched my hair for a chance. I dreaded for every movement he made but he seemed to become more ignorant from time to time. "Amu…" he exhaled right beside my neck. My heart became to thumped rapidly and I could feel all the heat went up to my head. I gripped on the sheet as his face was getting nearer, nearer, and…

One handedly, he gathered my pink hairs in a posthaste grasp, reveling the swollen part of my neck. "Explain to me about this, Amu," he glared at me as I pulled my hairs down quickly to cover the wound from others who might see it beside him. "Explain," he bumptiously demanded as his glaring eyes were getting sharper, thrusting me mentally to assure him I wouldn't tell a single lie to him.

I gulped, afraid and confused to tell him the truth or not. "I-"afraid to continue the next upcoming words, but pausing too long won't benefit me at all. Ikuto, in this case was not being patient enough. I could see that from the way he looked at me. "I-"swallowing my own saliva, I pushed myself to continue, "-t-tripped when I ran."

The powerful hand of Ikuto's pushed me down as I fell on the bed gasping in fright. His eyes were much more intense than before. I could feel my remaining courage was being stolen away by those dangerous looking sapphire eyes slowly. "Are you not lying to me, Amu," he querying me unequivocally. I could only swift my eyes to the other side to avoid further contact with his scary eyes. "Are you?" he repeated the question a bit louder that it jolted me. I kept my mouth zipped, not wanting him to know what that girl had done to me.

His eyes relented as he learned that I won't be telling him the truth even if he intimidated me more than this. Agitated, a sight was blown from his mouth as he drew back his hands from mine. I took a deep breath of relief that the interrogation was finally over.

The room was oddly quiet, not even a sound of breath was to be heard. There was only me who was trying to pull my back to a sitting position and the navy-blue haired boy who now turned his head, trying to make a gap between me and him as he curled his long bang. I was uncomfortable with this situation; it feels like either me or he was at fault. We were like living in an imaginary jail, or even a graveyard.

All of a sudden, my attention was attracted to a creature that fell down right in front of my face. It has a big fat looking inky black two segmented body compared to its insect body size as a whole, and it has an amazing microscopically briskly teeth with no eyes to be seen on its head. And furthermore, it has four pair of small lanky feet and a lean, almost transparent looking thread coming out from its back. It took me several seconds before I was aware and of course, I shrieked.

"A SPIDER!! A SPIDER IN FRONT OF MY FACE!!!" Ikuto discontinued twirling his bang as his attention was focused at me who was troubled facing the horrifying spider that was obliquely trying to 'rape' me. "GET IT OUT FROM ME!!!" I screamed hysterically as the perverted spider was getting nearer to me and in an instant was banished with a slung of Ikuto's long arm. Time seemed too resigned when our eyes met. A long, very long pause was there between us, filling the gap that we had. I was stumbled by his serious look, the look which was not as cold as before but plain. Awkward it seems, before he covered his own mouth forbearing a great giggle.

"I-can't hold b-back anymore," laughter gushed down from his very mouth as he pointed at my face insane. I was absent-minded before I figured my stupefied look which caused all the roaring laughter of his. "St-Stupid Ikuto! Don't make me look like a fool you hentai nekomimi!!" I gave him an undamaging punch while my face was burnt bashfully.

His laughter was finally settled after the past six funny minutes. He beamed me a gentle gaze while letting his sooth thin fingers caress my rosy red cheek. I was gaga just by feeling the vague touch that wrapped me with the feeling of secured. I couldn't believe the man who could give such a caring gestures and warmth was the same man who petrified me a minute ago. I was confused to reply to his loving: to be afraid or to be trusting.

"Amu," he called my name in such a susurrus manner yet I could still hear his low inaudible voice, "are you not afraid of me?" his tone was a mixture between resolute, assertive, and unexpectedly, fear. I understand clearly what he was trying to ask about: his incapability to control his emotion in trying to expose the truth from me. Even if I was about to nod, looking at the burden facial of his made my head shook automatically. His expression ease and a pleasant feeling were overflowing me when I saw a mild smile came upon his gorgeous face.

Like a spoiled little boy, he clung to me tight, not letting me go even just a second. Flustered, I was unable to decide what I should do to respond to his sudden baby-nature, or in his case: kitty-nature. "I… never pity you," his claim filled my heart with a jigger. "Never think the embryo was more precious than you too," he burrowed his midnight hair to my chest, listening to my heart beat raced in coy. "And also," he raised his head allowing his sapphire eyes gazed at mine innocently. I was afraid to those deep blue eyes; it was stealing my heart and drowns my soul into them, yet it triggered an unmanageable longing feeling in me.

And without any warning, his warm cat-like tongue licked my neck as I squeaked in an extravagant shock. "N-No!" I pushed him with all my strength but it was a misstep I made. He grabbed my hands in a powerful grip in order to stop me struggling. I could feel my neck was burning whenever his velvety lips were pressed on my bruises. "This is why," he exhaled right on my still tender wound, "I don't want you to be in danger," like a cat he purred and licked my injuries as I could only gasped helplessly. My heart was thumping almost above its limit, my head started to spin caused by the heat steaming to my brain. And just as I thought I was about to die, I caught a light green tiny eyes outside the curtain spying on us. At first I thought it was the emerald-eyed girl, but then again I realized it was…

"A-Amu-chan, Am-am I disturbing desu?" As I thought, it was Suu! I kicked Ikuto out from the bed and cornered myself on the edge of the bed, as far as I could from him. My head was about to blow in embarrassment and humiliation.

Understanding the situation, the navy-blue haired boy stood up as he approached the curtain. "I'll monitor the moon. You'll just wait here," a glint of his smirk was shown before he stepped out from the shelter. I wrapped my head with the white sheet in hope to dispel the blushes from my face.

Cautiously flying towards me, Suu seemed to be worried and in another way happy looking at me. "You guys are so cute des-"

"NO WE WERE NOT CUTE!!" I yelled at her franticly. "HE-HE-HE LICKED ME YOU KNOW!!! LICKED ME I'M TELLING YOU!! BRAZENLY LICKED MY NECK!!!" I screamed hysterically, not caring how Suu already plugged her ears with cloths to avoid being deaf.

"Well, why didn't you stop him desu?" Suu unplugged the cloths from her ears when she felt it was secure enough to do so.

"THAT'S BECAUSE HE WAS HOLDING MY HANDS!!" I screamed even louder in more panicky tone. The green chara could only shake her head.

"Then did Amu-chan asked him to stop desu?"

Suu's question struck me like lightning. Did I? "I guess I didn't" I mumbled, admitting my mistake.

"Why didn't Amu-chan do that desu?"

"I-I was-"the words are already on the tip of my tongue, but I was unsure to let her know. But the eagerness inside Suu's big eyes pulled my words out unconditionally. "I was having this weird feeling when he was getting closer to me. That's why," I spurted all the words in one breath while covering my face to hid my red cheek being noticed by her.

"Was it the same feeling towards Tadase desu?" she smiled as she questioned. I was stunned. My prince Tadase? I started to recollect all the memories between him and me, but the feelings were not there anymore. I was confused.

"Amu-chan," she sat beside me, holding my hands in caress, "don't you realize? You haven't mentioned his name in these past few days," she smiled sincerely as I was frozen like a statue, jolted by the fact. "And before we reached this place, you always talked about him every single day."

"I-"

"And whenever you are with Ikuto, you were able to show your true-self without having to hold back unlike when you're with Tadase desu," she kept on spilling me the unrealized facts that I was even surprised by just knowing them from her.

"Amu-chan, tell me how you feel when Ikuto was around you desu?"

How does it feel? "I-I was happy when he's around I guess," I stuttered, embarrassed to tell her the truth, "and I think he's always there when I needed him the most…"

"Continue desu," she smiled in enjoyment and happiness at the same time for me.

"And it hurts," I grabbed my chest remembering the pain, "when I thought he was about to leave me."

Suu didn't said a word when she heard the last sentence, but unexpectedly she gave me an ear to ear huge smile. "Amu-chan," she grinned, "I think you, to Ikuto, is in lov-"

"Amu!" Ikuto opened the curtain in a sudden and it made Suu bit her tounge, "Come here, fast," he called me as he closed the curtain back to its position.

"He really enjoy giving people a heart attack doesn't he?" I pouted jokingly. "So what did you said just now?" I looked back at Suu who was holding her tongue in pain. She looked at me with her tongue still stuck out and shook her head as she smiled and rolled her tongue back. "Nothing," she grinned as she flew outside.

"*sights* That Suu," I sighted disbelieving her attitude.

"Amu-chii hurry!!" I could hear Ran was calling for me. I stood up and strained my back as I walked towards outside. "What's with the excitement all about?" I moaned.

"The excitement is up there," Ikuto pulled my hands gently to show me the sky above. I gasped when I saw it. Such a pale coloured yet outstandingly alluring beauty shimmered out from it. "It's… gorgeous!" I complimented.

"Of course," Ikuto chuckled, "it's the full moon anyway."

I looked at him still disbelieving the long awaited moment has come. Without caring enough to stare back at me, he notified to assure me, "It's finally the time," he grinned.

A grin that was welcoming the freedom at last,

or perhaps not?

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	13. Chapter 13

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**CHAPTER 13 – A Farewell For Two **

Yoru's furry cat ears straighten in a sudden instant. His nose began to vibrate, sniffing around the fragrances in the air. "It's coming nya."

It doesn't took it a count till three as the tumultuous sound of streaming water from afar reached my ears like millions of murmurs. Obnoxious salty scent from the passing by zephyr tickled my nose naughtily. I looked around to confirm everybody else's reaction; it appears they were undergoing the same thing as I do.

"Stand aside, Amu. This might be dangerous," the long hand dragged my vulnerable light body close to him, near the dollhouse shelter's entrance. The shugo charas were racing each other too to stand by our side, afraid after hearing Ikuto said the magic word 'dangerous'.

He was right. Not more than three and a half minutes before the reckless influx of the clamorous tidal wave burst into and crashed every single of the morning glories and the sunflowers with no mercy. Rocks and boulders aside were crushed to crumbles. I was shocked to see its magnificent power; how it was able to kill each and every one of us if we disobeyed Ikuto's instruction.

"I hate water nya!!" Yoru clung to Ikuto's shoulder, refraining himself from the splashing cool transparent liquid.

"Yoru is a scaredy-cat~" the pink pom-poms were raised up and down as Yoru pouted hearing his uncool new name from Ran.

"I am not scaredy-cat nya!!" the cat chara yelled, feeling affronted, "I may be a cat, but I'm not scaredy!!" he whipped his tail in exchange of further pouts.

"But I do think the water is scary in this state right now desu," Suu wrapped her arms to reduce the coolness in the area. She exchanged her look to stare me all of a sudden, "what do you think Amu-chan desu?"

"I…" I gave a glance to the humongous water's destructive power. It brushes away everything that's on its way. Nothing survived from its brutal act. Not even my courage. I choked just by watching the disastrous flood taking over everything it could. Cold sweat began to stream down my face. Feet began to tremble. Hands began to shiver. Doubts conquered me as I could only stood still, watching everything shattered to pieces.

Then a calming warm hand stroked my hair in caress; stopped me from any further quivering done. "Everything will be alright," the deep husky voice convinced me although his eyes were fixed at the terrifying sight. I gulped then agreed with a nod, knowing nothing to deny him.

"The water is raising desu!!" The charas began to fly around in a fast motion chaotically just like gas' molecules. I looked downwards to find the water has reached my ankle and briskly covering my leg in no time. I turned my head and gave Ikuto a panic expression of what-should-we-do-now-?! And as usual, he gave me a never expected reaction of a sedative smile painted across his determined face firmly.

"Cover your ears, Amu," he commanded me as I could only give him a blank look of confusion, "This might cause your ears to split apart."

I was just in time to cover my ears when screeches of deafening cracks filled up all the space it could take. It was actually a useless attempt though I covered my ears from such fortissimo sound; my ears still suffered a great pain from it. I couldn't even hear anything for a moment there.

"Yo, you're alright?" his ticklish fingers rubbed my ears softly to check for any fatal damage done. My ears caused my heart beat reacted in an unthought-of manner; pound rapidly, racing against my breath as I could feel my cheek went red again.

"Ikuto nya!!" Yoru jumped to his broad shoulder childishly, "the hole is set! Just like your prediction nya!"

"A-Amu-chii… My…My ear hurts!" Ran stumbled around as she still holds her ears almost passed out.

"Yoru didn't tell Ran to plug her ears desu?" Suu whispered to Miki as they both were unplugging their ears from cottons provided by Yoru.

"Yeah. I think he said it was some kind of revenge for calling him a scardey cat or something," the sky blue chara sighed as she shook her little head.

"Wh-What hole?" I befuddled, ignoring Ran who was unexceptionally dying.

Without bothering to answer my question, Yoru pointed his cat fingers to a direction not far from us where the whole place was covered with blankets of dust .I squints my eyes for a better look to found this humongous hole, or perhaps crack carved on the rocky wall. I could tell the hole was created by the water pressure, but its crack lines were somehow too neat. As if it has been patched before. As if it has been prepared before. As if…

"…It's unnaturally made?"

I looked behind me to find Ikuto was looking at the same direction as I do. I arched my eyebrows, "Can you read minds?" the question was thrown out of curiosity. A confused look was thrown back at me as he questioned me back, "Since when I became an ESP?"

"Ikuto we should go now nya-!" the cat chara pulled his long arm fast, "this is our chance while the water decreased!"

_Decreased?_I looked down again to confirm Yoru's last sentence. Startled, I found the water around where we stood dried up in a blink. Without considering me who was still flustered with thousands of questions I gave myself, the navy blue haired boy grabbed my hand and dragged me into the humongous gap between the cracks. "We can't waste time here," he warned me as I tried to match my pace with his, "the next tidal wave won't be as lenient as this one."

"There will be more?!" I choked to hear the shocking news.

"Thousands more till sunrise nya—"I gulped nervously thinking about our undetermined future as the cat chara gulped nervously by imagining the floods of salty water.

Not wanting to waste any second, the tall teen leaped immediately into the enigmatic hole as soon as our foot landed on the wet, murky soil in front of it. "Jump in, Amu!" Ikuto rushed me as I was about to do so. I began to insert my right leg into the gap. This time, we'll be safe. This time, we're all going home. This time, we-

_"Then can you save me like you save yourself…?"_

I was puzzled, numbed. Like lightning struck on me, the memory rolled and played in my head like a broken video.

_"…I died with such pain and was unable to do anything about it…"_

"Amu?"

_"…full moon…"_

I shook my head, pulling my leg back as Ikuto was perplexed by my sudden change of act. "Amu what's wrong?" he asked, still muddled as the group of charas lurked their heads to watch the sudden twisted situation.

_"…either will I go back to that place,"_

"I'm sorry, Ikuto," I lowered my head, clutching my fist tight.

_"or locked in this cage forever…"_

"But," I raised my head back to face him with very determined eyes this time and pulled myself a smile for him, "I have a promise to keep to my friend."

A shocked look was hung on his face. I couldn't bear myself to look at his betrayed expression. Time was running out. I turned away and ran back to where the shelter lies with all my shugo charas who were tailing after me with the same amount of confusion as his. Ikuto was calling for me for many times, I can't even recall anymore how many times he repeated my name until his voice trailed off. "I'm sorry, Ikuto," I whispered.

I tore the curtain open and in an extreme rush I went up to the shelf, pulling out and threw each and every book filling it on the floor, getting rid of them as the three charas were watching my weird sudden attitude, astonished. Only one book that I didn't do anything reckless towards it, the rusty old book I was looking for: the diary.

No more hesitation this time, I pulled out the book and opened the entries with swift flips. "There has to be a way to help her here..." I murmured as I kept on flipping the pages.

_Dear Aisu, today I..._

I flipped more pages.

_Dear AIsu, it was fun when..._

Three more pages were flipped without me bothered to read them.

_Dear Aisu, I missed my..._

I slammed the sacred book on the floor, unable to bear the irritation flowing up to my head. "Where the hell is the clue?!" I screamed outrageously. "It has only dear Aisu this, dear Aisu that!" I panted in tremendous anger as my little charas started to get afraid by my mood swing. _Wait. It has only dear...Aisu?_ I quickly picked up the book again and opened a random entry. "It was again started with a dear Aisu..." I mumbled.

_Why did she chose the name Aisu? What's the meaning behind the name?_

Aisu. Ai su. Ai means love. Love? She never demanded to be with loved in any of her entry. Then what does 'su' means? I rubbed my chin, thinking hardly.

_Then what does 'Aisu' means as a whole?_ "Aisu... Aisu... Ai-" an idea struck me as I mumbled out the name. "Aisu... Ice?" It was a convincing answer even though there was no guarantee for it to be the correct guess, but no more time was given to me to decide another one.

"Ice... becomes water...water...pool?" Jolted with the sudden idea, I ran outside without thinking twice. "Amu-chan! Where are you going?!" Miki who was surprised the most with my sudden action followed me with her sisters behind. I wasn't bothered enough to answer her as I kept on drifting into the passage way, heading to the pond.

I huffed and was out of breath when I reached the suspected place, but that doesn't mean I was out of strength to observe the place back. I lifted up my head and let my eyes and head wander around in hope to catch an answer.

There was only a small pond and unlimited falling water droplets from above as the source of the clear liquid. The cold breeze from nowhere then stroke me, made me shivers for a moment. The same sight like before, the same feeling like back then. But this time, I became more concentrated, more alert.

Then, a question passed by my head. _Where does all these droplets came from?_ I raised my head higher, as high as possible to found an amazing, shocking, puzzling view. Above the luxurious pool lies an ice pillar, an enormous ice pillar with mists of the freezing cold fogs covering it with a warm light secretly melting it to cause the droplets dripped into the ground. I was struck with amazement and admiration of its beauty, but was startled to see what's inside it.

A young girl around my age coated with a pearl white dress and dashing smooth golden hair, slept silently as her pale body was stiffen inside the wickedly cold pillar. Nothing could surprise me better than such a tragic yet astonishingly beautiful view. _I recognized that girl. I saw her in the picture in the drawer before. I talked to her before. I know her more than anyone else. She's,_ "Lillia," I called her, hoping her to wake up from her eternal slumber even though I knew it as an impossible task.

"Amu!" a scolding yet worrisome tone heard from behind. I was pulled against the built, perfect body of a man as he clung to me tight. "Ikuto let me go!" I struggled to get loose from his protective arms, but the more I move, the more he tightens me to his chest. "Amu stop it! Listen to me!" he yelled angrily at me as I kept on pushing his arms away. "Let me go!" I raised my voice until he gave up to me. I dashed a meter away as soon as his locking arms released me. A deadly glare I beamed him as he could only sigh.

"Explain yourself," his right hand gripped onto his robust waist line demandingly.

I pouted, clenched my fist in irritation. "Since when did you become my mother, Ikuto?" I asked him sarcastically.

I was hoping he will burst to anger after I said such awful words, but instead he came towards me and patted my head gently. "I'm sorry," he apologized softly, "I was too worried about you since you just ran off like that," a rejected sigh blown from his nostrils, "I thought I disappointed you in ways that I don't even realize. I apologize if I did. I don't want us to fight again like before."

Listening to him regretting things he shouldn't, I felt remorseful for everything that I've done that invited his concern. I exhaled and raised my head to meet his glistening sapphire eyes, opened my mouth but closed it in an instant. I chose to point my index finger upwards to the gigantic pillar than to explain every single detail of it.

Ikuto was as shocked as me when he saw a dead fragile looking girl inside an ice pillar, but he managed to calm down faster than me. "So what was your plan?" he kept his eyes still focused to the princess figure as I shook my head as an answer to his question. "All she asked was me to help her," I sighed, feeling disoriented.

Ikuto kept on standing still, observing the frozen crystal up above seriously. "Is she the same girl who always haunted you and the one in the picture?"

_In the picture? I never remembered showing him the picture._ "Ikuto how do you know about the pic-"

"Emergency! Emergency nya!!" Yoru burst in between us panicky. "Ikuto we should hurry now! I heard the tidals coming soon nya!!" the cat chara shrieked in horror as his goose bumps are growing back to his skin's surface.

"They're here?!" I gasped, unbelieving the fact. But Yoru's frightened murmur of 'any minute now' showed we're now in a real danger.

I finally became aware about our situation._We might die any second by the ruckus waves because of me. Because of my reckless acts I made everyone on their edge of death. I should have listened to Ikuto from the start._ My eyes stung as regretful tears were swelling up. I felt ashamed by myself.

"Don't worry," Ikuto brushed through my hair to stop me before my tear drops rolled down, "I'll make sure the seven of us will get out from here."

"S-Seven?" I counted all of us. There was only six including himself.

"Yoru," the cat chara jumped to him. "Chara nari! Black Lynx!" In a blink of an eye, his appearance changed to a cat based light suit outfit. He jumped towards the huge icy pillar and in a speedy move, slashed it and shattered it to tiny crystal pieces as the angelic figure fell down to the ground, surprisingly unwounded by Ikuto's piercing claws. In a cat like reflex, Ikuto leaped down to the ground and caught her freezing pale body before it reached the ground. "Oh, seven," I grinned towards Ikuto's unpredictable moves.

"Ikuto! You alright?" I rushed to him as he still carried the Lillia on his strong arms.

"I guess I'm fin-"he paused as his eyes widened looking at the silent face of the frozen girl. "Isn't she's the-"

"Amu the tidal!" Miki screamed desperately as the gashing deadly flood roared around, started to filling up the area in a swift.

"Tsk! I miscalculated the timing," Ikuto hung Lillia on his broad shoulder hurriedly as he sprinted towards me and carried me in a bridal pose as I could only gasped in amazement and unspeakable surprise. "No time to complain, Amu. Cling to me tight," he instructed me before I could digest his order clearly as he leaped in an extreme speed outside the passage way

And time slowed down when the emerald eyes pierced mine from nowhere. There was a glance of her first sweet smile shined in the middle of the chaos. Her mimic became very soft and relieved; a total opposite of her previous stiff, icy cold dead expression. "I thank you..." she whispered as her shadows faded into the thin air, joining the vapors of moonlight's dew. "Do not forget those sadness, Amu..." her last sentences echoed throughout the corner.

My mind was absent, not able to understand why on earth she repeated those cursed sentence on the last minute and made me almost fall into wild waves who were ready to swallow m any time. "Amu! Focus!" the husky voice growled.  
I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck, trying not to fell down onto the ground as he bounced into the hole and raced himself against the harsh clamorous tides that were hungry for our lives. The passageway ahead us were very narrow and dark, making Ikuto difficult to moved around to escape from the chasing tides whose it began to splashed our feet, ready to swallow each and one of us as Ikuto raised his running speed till his maximum to avoid it. His sweat drops started flowed down to my cheek as his breath began to unorganized. An exhausted expression painted his face blue but his spirit was not giving up yet.

"Amu-chii I saw a light ahead!" I squinted my eyes, trying to focus my eyes towards the view ahead from the bumpy gravitation around me. There was a dim yet sure light a hundred meters away. "A light!" I squealed, "Ikuto I think our exit is right there!" I pointed to the dull light as he gave me a single nod of agreement.

"I'll try to raise my speed, hug me tighter." his feet stomped harder unto the ground, leaving some foot marks printed on it. The pressure between his legs became heavier each time he landed on the spoiled clay like ground, consuming his remaining stamina left. We were as fast as a wind, but the tides were storming like lightning.

The light was getting brighter and clearer each second we fight for. My heart pounded in excitement and in fright as we were getting nearer by the dangerously heart melting light. "A little further more and we'll be out form this nightmare," I murmured to myself. Then somehow my feelings were coated in doubts and fear. My mind was telling me to be happy about this but my instinct told me the other way around. _Why?_

The whole ground was on the rampage. Rocks and boulders began to collapse to one another, crashing each other and made thousands more smaller pebbles to cover the muddy ground.

"Wh-What's happening desu?!" Suu started to panic.

"I think it's the earthquake like the first time we came!" Miki shrieked as she hid inside her blue plaided egg.

I began to worry even more when I saw a miracle things drooling down the hall behind us.

"Amu-chii! The rocks!" Ran pointed her bushy pink pom-poms to the view I was staring at. "They're stopping the flood from chasing us!"

Ran was right. Like watching your worst nightmare monster being killed right in front of your eyes, my eyes widened in happiness and great relief. "Ikuto! The water has stopped! We can slow down now!" I suggested him cheerfully but he did not slowed down his pace like I told him so. Instead, he increased his run even higher, as if he was not listening. "Ikuto!" I repeated, "The water has stopped now. We can take a res-"

"Are you stupid nya?!" Yoru's voice screamed from inside Black Lynx in fierce, "if we're slowing down now we're a dead meat nya!!"

Surprised and irritated, I poked Ikuto's chest sending it to Yoru, "The flood is gone now! Can't you give Ikuto some rest now?!" I crossed my arms unpleased.

"No, Amu-chan," Miki popped out from her egg, trembled, "This time it's not the flood. But something more deadly than the flood," she pointed her shaking finger to the ceiling as my honey eyes followed it to be surprised by those fast falling screeching giant boulders who were now hunting us down. I gasped, shocked by a new nightmare.

"We're close," Ikuto exhaled. His hands began to trembles and his grip began to loose. I looked at him in concern; his mimic was stiff and weary, his sight was getting blurry, he was out of breath. My heart was in pain by looking at him tortured, but spilled not a single word to halt him. "Twenty more meters," the weak deep voice estimated as he struggled his feet to land on the maddening earth. I stared at him as he glanced at me, pulling himself a calming smile for me. "Don't worry we're near," almost no energy left for him to opened his mouth.

I gazed down, feeling guilty. _Even in this kind of situation Ikuto still tries to calmed me down..._

"I won't be a nuisance anymore," I claimed silently as I lifted my head quick and sharpened my golden honey eyes towards the crude, shaking, evil, moldy passageway. "Eighteen more meters," I read my estimation out loud, hoping that would help him getting calmed this time. He gave me a weak grin as he dashed forward; avoiding the big sized rocks from squashing us. "Fifteen!" I clung to him even tighter as he bounced and leaped even faster now. My started to get sick since being carried by Ikuto has the same feeling as riding a wild vehicle.

_**Twelve.**_ The light was getting brighter, more distinct.

_**Eight.**_ The light blinded my eyes; it was as if we're heading into the sun.

_**Six.**_ "Is anyone down there?!" an anonymous voice ahead called for our existence as a shadow of a man covered the light. I raised my eyebrows in content as I shouted back, "We're here!!"

_**Four.**_ Ikuto slowed down as he panted crazily.

_**Three.**_ An unexpected rumbling sound of a nasty rolling boulder trembled down behind us unstoppable.

_**Two.**_ "Shit!" Ikuto released his grip as his strong arm pushed and pitched me and her forward and made us bumped to the ground hard.

_**One.**_ I rubbed my bottom from the pain, moaned a little. "Hinamori Amu! Tsukiyomi Ikuto! Are you guys there?" I turned my head around to see some people calling our names with shadows of hands and men trying to reach us. I was thrilled to hear my name called while being bask by long missed warm shine.

"Ikuto! They're here!" I turned my head back to face him. "We're safe n-"Stroke by shock, I couldn't believe what's in front of me. Ikuto, with blood streaming down his head and his body half trapped by the boulder, dying. I gasped, covered my mouth by the saddening view with tears started to pour down. "I-Ikuto h-how could-"

"I'm alright," he claimed weakly.

"No you're not!" I hollered at him in fright, "I'll- I'll ask help from them! Wait here-"

"Don't" he stopped me from getting help. "No more *cough* time for any of us now."

He was right. A ferocious earthquake shook the ground again as rocks began to collapse from the ceiling. A hand pulled me from up there roughly. "Let's go missy! The earthquake is getting vicious!" a man wearing yellow construction outfit pursued me.

"No! Help him first!" I pulled my arm from his clutch as another man with a similar outfit grabbed me in a same manner. "No!" I screamed as they finally let me loose. Hurriedly, I ran approaching Ikuto who was suffocating from the pain he had to handle.

"MOVE BACK AMU!" he glared me sharp as I was shocked by his sudden anger. I glared him back, a concern glare.

"I don't want to," I whimpered as my tears strolled down drop by drop. Looking at me sulking in such melancholy, he sighed and pulled my leg softly. I stared down at him, still sulking when he gave me the gesture of come-here-you. I kneeled down for him to touch my cheek, wiped my tears gently. "When you cry like this, you're really ugly," he smirked as I frowned. "Amu, listen," his tone became serious, "if I couldn't make it out there, bring that girl to a guy with a surname Tohno no matter what," he pointed at pale Lillia who was being carried away by three constructors.

"What do you mean by 'if'?" I began to worry again as the ground was trembling with even more menace.

Ikuto didn't say a word; instead he pulled my face to his and pressed his soft thin lips to mine. My eyes widened as he wouldn't let go his lips at all. There was no rejecting feeling from me to him; instead I brushed his soaking wet hair in an indescribable love. He pulled back his face from mine after a seconds has flew by. He stared at me deep as I could only gasped in embarrassment, knowing that I let him stole another kiss from me.

"See you later, Amu," he smirked as he pushed me away. I bumped to the rocky wall as the ground began to rampant. Boulders began to fell down, collapsing each other with an eerie sounds filling up the room, covering Ikuto from my sight.

"Ikuto! NO!!" I shrilled as hands were pulling me upwards. Ikuto's figure began to disappeared, replaced by the gigantic rocks and boulders that were crushing his existence.

"IKUTO!!" I screamed out his name.

"Hinamori-san!!" a memorable voice called for me as his small yet strong hand pulled my body up from the darkness.

I managed to be pulled from the edge of my life as a humongous boulder rumbled down and closed the gap which connected the underground with the outside world.

_"Do not forget those sadness..."_

Her voice echoed through my ear. "What she really meant was... this?" I whispered to myself.

The sun has risen. The birds started to chirp. Morning dews were filling up the air.

**And Ikuto was gone.**

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	14. LAST Chapter

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**LAST CHAPTER – Ending of A Start**

The bench where I sat on was cool and hard, but it was comfortable enough to sit on. I was trying to enjoy myself watching the newly risen golden sun behind the partly midnight sky that was still shyly showing herself to the world, but my mind kept on distracted by things I don't even know how to describe. Tadase, the blonde haired boy who has been my whole life crush cracked a can open. I smell a warm and soothing smell of hot chocolate from two cans on his hands now. Not asking for my permission, he sat beside me as one of his hand offered me the inviting hot chocolate.

"Thank you," I took it near my mouth to sip it.

"Make yourself comfortable," he smiled full of tenderness behind it as he patted my back gently. He opened his fluffy cream jacket and coated it on me so I could get all the warmth from it instead of him. I thanked him with a weak smile which he replied with motherly eyes.

"Move it! Move it! Give some way!" one of the workers raised his arms high and waved it around cautiously. I stuck my head to see what was happening out there. Not to everybody else's amaze, a black jet Porsche was screeching to a halt not far from me. As expected, a properly dressed man came out from the driver's seat with his cap on, quickly walked over the back seat's door cab and opened it fast as he bowed down to the figure who lurked out from the luxury car.

It was a European man around his 70s wearing a rich red Armani heavy coat which made him looks huge from his normal size, especially the over-sized silver Hugo Boss belt that was hanging around his waist. Copper brown pants which were a summer edition from Versace wrapped his legs just right. Not to mention he was wearing the limited edition silver grey Hermes shoes which could cost you a fortune just to wear one. And the ravishing gold Bvlgari glasses hung on his bridge of his up-turned nose shows him not just any rich guy, but an intelligent one. I was amazed to see a person to wear such an unusually high-classed outfit, standing just three meters away from me.

"Excuse me sir Vanguard," one of the workers approached him as he handed out a document. The wealthy-looking man stared at the files as he rubbed his chin and gave himself a few nods before handing the document back to the constructor.

"What's that thing?" I asked Tadase while pointing my index finger to the man.

"A file about you young ma'am," the old man replied in a fluent Japanese before Tadase had the chance to. I blinked my eyes twice, surprised. The luxury man gave me a meekly smile in exchange. He walked up to me in a quick and firm speed, showing he is healthier and stronger than any other 70 years old man I've ever seen.

"My employer reported me there was an accident in my construction place days ago," he took out his glasses and wiped its specs using a small satin handkerchief from his coat pocket, "and we've been trying to track you down since then," he examined his spectacles from any dusts left and lowered it down as he raised his face to mine and then to Tadase's. "This boy," he grinned pleasantly, "has been helping us through days and nights. In fact, he hasn't slept since you were gone."

I widened my eyes in surprise and turned my head to see Tadase's expression. I was even more surprised to see him having dark circles around his ruby eyes as he blushed deeply which means what the old man said was true. I lowered my head sheepishly, "Thank you," I mumbled as Tadase could only smile as shy as I was.

"Anyway," the man cleared his throat, "Miss Hinamori Amu isn't it? The file says so."

"Y-Yes, I am," I answered him as he stared at me observantly. "I-Is there something wrong, sir?" I gulped nervously.

"No," he shook his head lightly, "you just reminded me with an old friend of mine," a weak and solemn smile decorated his face dark. "She died when she was on your age I supposed, but," this time his smile became more cheerful, "let's not talk about that. We don't want to ruin this crucial moment, do we?"

"Yes, I-I suppose," an awkward feeling wrapped me tight, as if this guy was the one I need to look for.

"Is she sleeping?"

"I don't think so, she's dead pale,"

"Are you telling me this girl is a corpse?"

"But she doesn't look like one. Her body looks excellent for a corpse."

Murmurs of the employers were heard from my back just as it caught the old man's interest. "What's with all the buzzing noises about?" his voice stormed out. The entire constructor backed off, not wanting to make a fuss with him.

"It's about another girl, sir," one of the worker walked up to him in anxiety, "She's somehow..." he bit his lip not sure to inform his boss or not.

"What another girl? I'm sure the only girl in the file you mentioned is only Miss Hinamori Amu, am I not correct?"

"Yes, sir. We also had the same thought as yours, sir. But..." he pulled his safety helmet down as a gesture of doubts and sorrow at the same time. The sophisticated old man tilted his head, totally confused now.

"Are they talking about... Lillia?" I questioned myself in thoughts.

"Show me the girl," he ordered

Obeying like a slaved dogs, the workers carried the captivating pale body of Lillia carefully to him like bringing the treasure chest to the captain.

"Hinamori-san, what's happening there? Is that your friend?" Tadase held my hands in concern. I shook my head but kept my eyes still stuck to the crowd.

The old man putted back his valuable glasses as he sharpened his wrinkled lime green eyes on her. I was suddenly anxious about her. _What are they going to do with her? What will happened to her?_ Questions overflowed me as the wealthy old man was getting closer to her.

He swept her Goldilocks' suavely to see a beautiful colourless French doll like face."Is... Is she-?" he suddenly gasped in surprise with his heavy eyebrows raised high.

"Don't harm her!" I jumped out from the bench and bolted toward him leaving Tadase bemused.

"Lillia!" he suddenly cried out the name just as I was about to bulldozed him from the innocent dead girl. I halted, flabbergasted. "You know her?" I inquired him, amazed myself.

He hugged the frozen girl closely in such a longing way which was enough to answer my question right. "Could all of you please leave me and Miss Hinamori alone?" he requested to the whole bewildered audiences with arms were still supporting the fallen angel's body. None of them were a recalcitrant as they moved away obediently. "I'll wait for you," trifles touch on my hand Tadase, the prince charming blonde boy gave me before he pulled himself back and walked away.

As I watched him ambled away, the old man slowly carried her unto the nearest bench, wiped her smooth cheek soft with a caring smile carved on his wrinkled face. I watched every move he made. Lillia must've been someone precious to him.

"Back at 1951," he spoke in such a passionate manner, "We were both stuck in a small damp place where every white was unaccepted back then. We were meant to be sold as a slave to all the ancient Japanese's noble."

"Sold?" I remembered Lillia mentioned that in one of her entries.

The old man sighed, "I remembered everything like it was yesterday. We were so close to each other, like a family. She who was only a year younger than me was like a little sister to me," his eyes narrowed to the eternally sleeping girl. "We were playing hide-and-seek by the river bank when the crazy man bought her to be one of his experiments collections. I should've noticed his motive back then," he stared at her ravishingly etiolated face in guilt, "But I didn't until a year later."

"What happened?" I asked in concern.

His body wobbled a bit but he got himself up again in a second. "I'm just a little weary with all the flashbacks coming unto me again. No worries," he claimed while my hands were ready to help him stand properly in case he falls. "I was happy when I saw him bought her. I thought someone could at least give her a proper food and proper clothes," he continued the story, a little bit shaky in his voice, "I myself was bought by some nobles but they treated me like a proper child, not a slave. I didn't consider myself lucky in the past since I thought everyone was treated the same if they were bought, including Lillia," he sniffed, holding back his tears. I patted his back to make him feel relieved. He thanked me with a quick nod.

"A year later I heard the news from my foster parents. She was-," a long pause was there as his crinkled hands enshrouded his eyes. I could tell he was feeling all blue and stressed out about all the sudden horrible things he should remember. I let him bought the time to repose himself before he continued, "She was told to be tortured then killed by her irresponsible adopter who ran away after being tracked down by the police. Probably to erase all the proofs that could make him executed by the government that day. I had no idea when and how it happened, but it was horrid," he took a deep breath as he proceed, "I was very shocked by the sudden-unrealistic-looking news, but it was surely not a dream itself. I was asking where will the funeral be taken, but no one could answer since they were not able to find her body."

"I thought so," I muttered, recalling how hard it was to find her body if I was not able to guess the hidden riddle.

"But things are fine now," his eyes turned to the charming pale face, "at least all my hard work in searching for her for all these fifty eight years has paid off. And good thing her body was putted in some kind of a freezer or something so I doesn't aged and damaged," he laughed it off.

"An ice pillar actually," I thought to myself.

He took her icy cold hands and handled it with great care, "When I heard the location was rumored to be around here, I quickly hired some experts to find it but the research turned to be a failure after twelve years. I then given up in looking for her and decided to create a building construction corporation here in the memoir of her," an apologizing look came across his face, "That's when you suddenly fell into an un-patched hole and trapped inside there for days. I deeply regretted it," he bowed his head down, truly regretting his workers' mistake.

"N-No! That was not your fault," I felt uneasy now after hearing the entire story he told. "Besides I'm fine. Not even a single scratch here." He lifted his face again with a thankful smile this time as he thanked me with millions of gratitude, "I thank you, Miss Hinamori. You truly are a kind hearted young lad." He took a card out from his coat's pocket and handed it to me. "This is for you, Miss Hinamori. I will always lend you my hand whenever you need me in any possible way. Please do contact me," he insisted as I was about to decline.

"Th-Thank you then, Mister…" I read out the name printed on the card. It says:

_**Owner of Tohno Co.  
Eric Vanguard Tohno**_

Wait. I read the name on it again twice. The name was still there, printed with the best quality ink and readable font. _Eric Vanguard Tohno_

"Is there something wrong, you lady?"

"Yo-Your surname is… Tohno?" I gave him a quizzical look which, of course made me looks stupid enough since the answer is right in front of me.

"Why, yes. Since I was adopted by Japanese family, my surname changed automatically. But I still have my first name with me. Ah, but my employers fancied calling my middle name instead. Hope that doesn't confuses you," he smiled sincerely. I kept on exchanging my eyes from him to the card. A European with Japanese parents? How rare is that! But I'm sure he's not lying. Four proofs for that: First, I remembered the name 'Eric' has been jotted down in one of the entries. Second, the card that he gave me had less than 1% chance it could be a fake since it had all those golden logo and unaffordable expensive ink pressed on it. Third, I swear from the way his eyes glistened, he was not lying. And fourth, I was requested to bring Lillia to a guy named Tohno by Ikuto before we separated…

Ikuto… I wonder if he'll be okay…

"Sir Vanguard!" one of those puffy yellow clothed man covered with dirt dashed approaching him. "I'm so sorry sir," he panted exhaustedly, "But we couldn't find *pant* the other boy *pant*"

"The other boy?"

I paralyzed. Did he mean Ikuto?

"What do you mean by not able to find him?" his bushy grey eyebrows were raised, halfway surprised and the other way represented anger.

"We *pant* dug the hole with our whole might *pant* but the boy *pant* was," he took a deep breath of regret, "gone to nowhere."

Felt like stormed by the harshest mixed gust of disappointment, sadness, and shocked, I felt like crumbling to pieces from listening the last three words he said.

"We tried *pant* to find him from where he trapped, *pant* but when we finally pulled out *pant* the rocks, he was *pant* a goner," the construction worker explained with his all last breaths.

"Then how do we get this problem solv-"I pulled his coat lightly, a bit trembled which stopped him from completing his last word.

"Mister Tohno, you said that… you'll help me in any way you can, right?" my voice tottered as my sight was fuzzy with all the teardrops lining to crawled down my cheek.

"Why, yes I did Miss Hinamori," he confirmed it gawkily, most probably because he was surprised looking at me about to cry.

I wiped my tears before it had the chance to stroll down, "Then could you find Ikuto? All I want is for him to be safe. Nothing else, please," I held back my tears as long as I could, but it still dropped in the end.

The man sighed in concern. He squatted down and patted my hair fondly. "Since you've brought my little Lillia back and you forgave us for our big mistake, your wish is our command," he grinned cheerfully which stopped me from losing anymore teardrops. "We will be informing you every time we found a clue about him. I promise you."

I sniffed and nodded twice, "Thanks."

"No problem milady," he smiled betwixt his furrowed reddish cheeks. "And I guess you don't want to keep your friend waiting, right?"

I turned to see Tadase waiting for me patiently under the twinkling street lamp from afar. He waved his hand merrily when he saw me looking for him. Vanguard prodded me with his long yet thin fingers, "Go, now. Don't worry about Mister Tsukiyomi. We'll handle it for you."

I smiled at him in exchange of my word of gratitude and ran towards Tadase who has been waiting for me. Everything will be alright. I will start believing that from now on.

Without my knowing, a bloody red Bugatti Veyron not far away from Vanguard's black jet Porsche was slowing down its speed but didn't desist it. "Would you like me to stop the car, mistress?" the driver offered politely to the passenger seat where an elegant dressed lady wearing rosy red long Louis Vuitton silk dress with her silky caramel hair rolled down her slender figure perfectly although her face was not clear to be seen by the damp shadow light basking her.

"Don't. Keep driving with this speed for awhile," she ordered as her excellent fingers playing on her lustfully vermillion lips as her sexy smoky eyes narrowed, looking at a girl with a pink haired figure running across the road to a blond haired, ruby eyed boy in a hurry. She licked her lips and bit it mildly, "Hinamori Amu."

"Pardon me mistress?"

"Nothing," she putted down her hands, "Speed up now."

"Yes, mistress," the driver obeyed her order docilely as he pulled up the speed of the expensive car on the right speed that pleased his master. She leaned to the left car window, making her hair a bit messy. "Soon, things will be getting more interesting," she sneered to herself, "Hinamori Amu."

**-------------------------------------------------------------**

"Thanks for, umm walking me home Tadase-kun,"

"No problem," he shrugged then charmingly smiled, but the way he smiled was different than Ikuto's somehow. We were standing in front of my house's gate, but I felt strange just by looking at it. It feels like years that I've left this house. Maybe I was still not used to seeing my own house after all those tiring experience.

I opened the gate about to enter the entrance when Tadase tapped my shoulder lightly.

"Uh, I'm not trying to not letting you meet your parents or something. I mean they were really worried about you and," Tadase began to lumpish around as he figured he was stopping me from meeting my own family. "I, uh, wanted to say something to you, Hinamori-san," his cheeks turned carroty as his movement were not able to keep him still, "W-well, this might not be the right time or whatsoever… B-But since the last time when we were, uh, doing our homework, we were distracted when I was about to say something," he looked so nervous until he sweated. "I-I'm going to say it now, if you don't mind," he gulped, taking a deep breath, "Hinamori-san I lov-"

"I have to go now, Tadase-kun," I cut the conversation before he managed to finish out the word. He was stumbled, probably shocked by my rude act. Ran, Miki, and Suu were amazed as well with the twist I created. "I couldn't let my parents wait anymore. Especially Ami," I smiled politely as he gave me this crushed expression, as if I broke his confidence and faith to crumbles.

"O-okay then," he looked away with his voice faltered, "I-I'll be seeing you around then," he forced himself to pull out a smile for me as he said, "Good bye Hinamori-san."

"Good bye Tadase, and thanks," I smiled back at him, watching him walking away until he was not able to be seen.

And that was the last time I saw him.

**-------------------------------------------------------------**

"Amu-chan are you crazy?!"

"I thought you always tell us how you lovey dovey him and drools over him every night and day!!"

"I didn't expect that to happened desu…"

"I changed my mind, okay? Am I not allowed to do that?" I grumbled over the protesting group of shugo charas of mine.

"But I thought you were looking forward for him to confess to you. But why now you-"

"I just don't feel like it," I scratched my head, "In fact, I think I'm over him."

"Amu-chii…"

"Then how about Ikuto desu?"

"Ikuto?" I staggered.

"Will you wait for him desu?"

I shut in silence. The question had never popped to my mind before.

"Suu, what are you talking about?" Miki putted her hands on her waist, shaking her head fast, "The one that Amu loves is Ta-da-se-kun. Not I-ku-"

"I guess I will."

All my charas were surprised with my sudden answer. I grinned at them, "he did said 'See you later' to me. That means we'll be seeing each other again, right?"

"She's being an optimist," Miki whispered to Ran as she nodded helplessly.

I stretched out my hands to the sky, "Shall we?"

My mini comrades gave me a teeth smile as their approval. I winked my left eye to them teasingly as I hold the doorknob that will lead me to Mama and Papa and Ami who were waiting for me from the other side of the door. The thought of them running into me made me giggle.

I pushed the door open as a smile decorated my face as I shouted throughout the small house "I'm home!"

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	15. AFTER story

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**Another CHAPTER – An After Story**

**3 years later…**

"Congratulations!" A huge popping sound stabbed my eardrums as shredded tiny pieces of rainbow colours were bursting on my face.

I stepped back, astonished with all the party sets surrounding my room uptight. I could see Nagihiko, Yaya, and Rima standing right in front of me just as I opened my room's door open with colourful party poppers on their hands. My shugo charas flew cheerfully to meet theirs. It was their first reunion after the past two hours.

I looked around the room that they redecorated. There were balloons, plushies, and other kiddy like party gadgets, even a gigantic bunny costumes lying around my bed. I don't even know a bunny costume has ever been a part of a party gadget before.

"It was Yaya's idea. Don't blame it on us," Rima munched a chocolate cookie from Nagi's backpack as Yaya could only grin and giggled widely. "I phoned Kairi as well. He said he'll be coming," she waved her hands everywhere childishly.

"My god," I rolled my eyes jokingly, "What are these for?"

"Oh, Amu-chii!" Yaya slapped her own forehead as she fishing around Nagi's magic backpack and shoved me a thick pink coloured book entitled 'Yaya's' with hearts and flowers stickers on it. "See here!!" she switched the pages open to an article she ripped off from a magazine and pasted it with tapes and glue. "Read it aloud Amu-chii!" she screamed like crazy.

"Alright, alright," I took the book from her and read it out slowly. "Hoshina Utau's newest song 'And you were here' written by Hinamori Amu hit number one's chart throughout Japan. Now is standing on sixth position in international song. Hoshina Utau also claimed to be wearing Hinamori Amu's designs for her further performance as her unique designs were catching the eyes of youngsters and other fellow audiences throughout the world that was believed to help her fame upright since the first time she used it on the Osaka tour..."

" See Amu-chii!! Not just your song went on hit, but your amateur designs were brought to fame!! How cool is that?!" Yaya shrieked happily all by herself.

"Well I didn't expect Utau would be asking me to make her a costume and asking my poem to be remixed by her to be her newest song though," I scratched my cheek sheepishly, "It's just a coincidence."

"Then it's a great coincidence," Nagi grinned, "You don't see any sixteen years old junior high school student to be famous everywhere you know."

"Talking about Utau, where're those two?" I asked Rima who was chewing a pineapple bubblegum.

"Utau's on tour in Canada right now and Kukai went along with her to help her," she explained while trying to make a small balloon out of the gum.

I sighed, "They're like magnets, never plug out from each other even just a single second."

"Yeah, Yaya envy them," Yaya pouted, "I don't see Kairi every day since he's in Hokkaido…"

"I don't even know why Kairi wanted to date you anyway." Yaya choked Rima as Nagi to the rescue.

"Tadase haven't given us any call or mail too since the last three years…"

The room suddenly became quiet. We were suddenly become apprehensive towards one another.

"Why don't we sit around first now?" Nagi suggested as he opened his backpack and took out a bag of cakes, "I made all of these snacks and cookies for this party. There are some chocolates that you like."

I shook my head, disapproving. "I have somewhere to go first. But I'll be back later," I explained before they mistook it as I was unhappy about their effort for putting up this (7-year-old-like tea party) party.

"Well, where are you going?" Nagi gave the cookies to Rima instead as Yaya was looking for a lollipop from his bag. "Some place," I grinned unwillingly while taking a bunch of red jasmines and mauve lilacs from my cabinet with me. Nagi sighed, getting the rough idea where I'll be heading, "Be back soon ok?" he smiled. I promised him with a nod.

"Bring Yaya some cokes too! I forgot to buy it when we're coming here!" Yaya rolled on my carpet like a puppy.

"Cokes are not good for your health Yaya. Kairi told me to remind you that," Nagi scolded her as she frowned.

"But I waannttt ccookkkkeeeeeee~~~!!! Forget about Kairiiiiiiii~~!!" she whined like a little girl as the three of us could only shook our head unbelieving she's already a sixteen years old young adult.

"Fine I'll buy some later just stop weeping over it," I groaned as she back to her smiley mood. I opened the door open waiting for the three coloured charas of mine to follow me as usual, but they didn't. "Amu-chan can we not join you this time? We're having fun here right now," Ran enlightened me as she turned her back towards her own friends, not wanting to miss the fun. I sighed, "Fine. Catch you guys later."

I closed the door and walked down the stairway. Yaya made sure I was far enough from her to dash to Miki as she asked, "Where's she going anyway?" she whispered.

"Some place," Miki grinned as Yaya pouted. "Owner and character, the same," she commented unhappily as Nagi laughed.

**-------------------------------------------------------------**

"Thank you for your purchase," the florist bowed as I handed her a thousand yen. I took the Dandelions with me and mixed it with the other flowers which the florist girl wrapped for me as an extra service.

I walked down the stairs to find huge raven gates with the caretaker of the place standing still. "Visiting him again miss?" he opened the gate for me. "Thank you," I smiled and went into the other side of the gates. I can consider this to be one of the best places that I've ever seen. With cherry blossoms blooming cheerfully and verdant gardens on the sides and creamy benches silently watching every movement of the falling petals of the pink blossom, how great can they get? Well, it can get scary at nights though.

It was quite heavy to bring all the flowers once at a time since my sight was covered by the ticklish flowers. It feels like walking miles away just to reach him. But at least I was helped since the side walk has always been cleaned by the caretaker, even the tiniest dust so every visitor can enjoy their visit without meeting up any trouble of spraining their ankle by a banana peel or whatsoever.

I respectively glanced at the sides and read out the names carved on the rectangular silvery stones which were lining up through the way to make sure I didn't passed his by accident. "Hayashi… Yamada… Mizuto… Ah! Here it is," I squatted down and putted down the flowers in front of the tombstone with the name 'Tsukiyomi Ikuto' on it.

I went to a praying position with both of my hands grabbing each other. "Things are great today," I opened up the conversation to him, "I got surprising news that my song that I got inspired from our little memories hits the chart! The title is 'And you were here'. I'm sure you know about it since I told it to you few months ago. I was amazed myself when Yaya and the others came and gave me the surprise party. You should've been there. It's so much fun! And I still didn't get any info about Tadase."

I stood up and patted my back from dusts that may have stuck to it, even though I can hardly believe there's one. I stared at the silently beautiful tombstone. "I can't believe myself for chatting with your tombstone every week for this past three years when you yourself is not in there. This is such a joke," I laughed out myself before I came to composure. "If I get to see the embryo again, I'll wish we could meet each other again soon coz I still believe we'll meet each other again," I grinned before I waved my right hand to him, "See you later!" and walked towards the exit of the graveyard.

"Oh," I halted just as I remembered about Yaya's request. I was sure there's a soda vending machine near this place. I looked up at my watch. It showed 5.30 pm already. "I better get hurry," I walked in a quick pace as I headed towards the red vending machine near an Oak tree not far from here.

The machine was standing still as good as always. With its maroon red painted on its sides and a Coca-Cola canned drink logo printed on it with a humongous size. I inserted a coin in it and pressed some random buttons, unsure which one of them is Yaya's liking.

With the fifth coin and a Diet Coke button I pressed, I figured there were two cans which rolled out from it instead of one. Quite surprised myself, I picked up the other can besides the Diet Coke's and read the label in my thought. "Chocolate Soda?" I rolled my eyes, unbelieving how human can really be creative and at the same time weird. Whoever gonna buy a chocolate drink with a soda in it?

"Bummer," I lifted it up and opened the trash bin, but remembered about Ikuto's love to chocolate. I took the almost-thrown-away soda from it and closed the trash bin, decided not to drop it in and pocketed it in my jacket instead. "I'd better put this on his tombstone," the suggestion seemed reasonable enough as I started to carry the other five cokes with me. I think I'm getting used to bringing heavy stuffs.

As I lifted the fifth coke, I saw a glowing pure white egg roving across my head. My eyes widened, astonished by looking at the three year long missing item, as it was still relaxing itself floating in the mid air before my very eyes now.

"Embryo!!" I shrieked to my own surprise. I did expect him to show up to me, but not this quick! While I was still in the state of surprised it got shocked by my sudden loud voice and flew away in a lightning speed. "Wait up!!" I chased it as I dropped the cans on the ground; not letting it ran away anymore.

It leaped here and there as I followed it with my maximum speed. I hoped no one sees me running around the graveyard since they might think I'm crazy for chasing over something that they couldn't see. I climbed up trees and jumped over tombstones just to get my hand on that shitty Embryo who couldn't just once stay still and let me catch it.

"Don't go away you!!" I yelled as I furiously and satanically went after it, not caring if I have to die just to lay my hands on the egg. Sadly, I got tripped by a stone and it flew away up to the sky to make sure I was not able to catch for it anytime sooner.

"Stupid Embryo," I grumbled while rubbing my face from the pain."Ah!" the chocolate soda rolled from my jacket's pocket unto the ground when I tried to stand up.

A long, slanderous yet muscular hand was stretched up to catch the soda from strolling away too far before I did. It was a man who saved my soda. And not just any man. I felt I was familiar with him from the first time I saw his figure reading the title of the canned drink below the single ray sunlight even though it was quite hard to determine who he was at that time since my eyes were blinded by the sunray.

He was tall, wearing a smart suit, broad shoulder, glinting sapphire eyes, and silky navy blue hair. I gasped when I saw him. I swear, I truly swear I know him. The man I was longing for. The man that I had waited for so long. The man that I spent my 1095 days with emptiness just to see him before my very eyes.

"Chocolate Soda? I like this drink, you know," he smirked with his husky voice still the same as always. "Why are you here, Amu? Visiting someone's dead?" he chuckled as it triggered my tears for rolling down my cheek. I can't believe this, but this isn't a dream. Even if it's a dream, I would never want to wake up.

He offered his hand for me to stand with his eyes beaming the same warmth. I gazed at his mighty long sleeved palm and rested my hands on him to grab. I lifted up my face to see his usual gorgeous look clearly, smiled with a teary eyes of happiness as I said,

"Welcome home, Ikuto."

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End file.
